Jasprit Bumrah’s absence from India’s playing XI in the fifth and final Test at The Oval raised plenty of questions—especially with a green pitch on offer and the series in the balance. But assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate clarified that the decision was part of a pre-series plan made in agreement with the star pacer.
Why Bumrah Didn’t Play the Series Decider
According to Doeschate, the team management always knew Bumrah would play only three of the five Tests in England. “It’s quite a complex issue around Bumrah,” he said after Day 1. “Of course, we wanted to play him, but we also had to respect his body and the commitments we made earlier. Based on that, we felt it wasn’t the right call to include him.”
Bumrah featured in the series opener at Headingley, skipped the second Test at Edgbaston, and returned for the third and fourth matches at Lord’s and Old Trafford. Some critics viewed his absence in such a crucial match as preferential treatment, but Doeschate dismissed that notion.
“He didn’t pick and choose games,” Doeschate clarified. “He committed to three matches and left it to the team to decide which ones. We tried to manage that responsibly. It’s not an ideal situation, but we’ve got to treat every squad member fairly—especially when you’re traveling with 18 players. The key is transparency and making decisions in the team’s best interest.”
Managing Bumrah’s Workload
Although Bumrah bowled in just one innings during the fourth Test in Manchester, the staff considered his overall workload. “He’s bowled a lot more than it might appear on the surface,” Doeschate explained. “Yes, he only bowled in one innings at Old Trafford, but across the series and in preparation, his workload was significant.”
The final decision was taken by captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir shortly before the toss. Even though the surface at The Oval would have suited Bumrah perfectly, India stuck to their plan to manage his workload for the long term.
“In hindsight, you’d always love to have someone like Bumrah in the XI for a Test like this,” Doeschate admitted. “But imagine being down 3-1 and realizing we didn’t use him when we could’ve. It’s about looking ahead, not back, and trying to make decisions that serve both the player and the team.”
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