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Ex-South Africa captain AB de Villiers got people talking by questioning about if India is making the right call by letting their only star-bowler Jasprit Bumrah play three out of the five Test matches in England. This came up after India lost the first game at Headingley. Everyone is watching how much Bumrah is playing, since he's one of the best fast bowlers around.
De Villiers, who played a lot of Test matches himself, thinks Test cricket is super important. He thinks India should have Bumrah ready for all five games. He remembers how South Africa handled Dale Steyn. They would let Steyn skip some of the shorter games so he'd be ready for the big Test series. "Test cricket is still what it's all about, and India should be focusing on this England series," de Villiers said on his YouTube channel. "We used to have Steyn skip some of the less important ODI or T20 games so he could be at his best when we played Australia, India, or England. India should be doing the same thing with Bumrah."
This discussion got even bigger when Bumrah had mixed results in the first Test. He took five wickets in the first innings, but in the second, he didn't get any and India lost by 28 runs. To make things worse, Bumrah won't be playing in the second Test at Edgbaston. So, India is without their best bowler in conditions that help fast bowlers. Word is he's only playing three Tests, and coach Gautam Gambhir has already said that's the plan.
De Villiers knows there might be stuff happening behind the scenes, like what the doctors are saying about Bumrah's past injuries. Bumrah played almost all of the IPL season for Mumbai Indians, and maybe he was using it to get back in shape after being injured. "Maybe the doctors said he shouldn't play five Tests, and the team has to listen to that," De Villiers said. But he wonders if T20 games are being put ahead of Test matches. "You can't rule out that they're not managing him well. When you have a special player like Bumrah, you have to make sure every decision is about what's best for him in the long run."
India is down 1-0 in the series with three Tests left. So, people are wondering if it's smart to limit how much Bumrah plays. Not having him in Birmingham makes India's bowling weaker, especially since the pitch helps fast bowlers. De Villiers said that these big series are really important, almost as important as the World Test Championship final. So, India needs to use their resources wisely. "India has a tough decision to make," he said. "But sitting your best bowler in England, where he can really shine, is a risky move."
Everyone in the cricket world is watching to see how India handles Bumrah's workload. They have to balance what they need right now with keeping him healthy for the future. For now, everyone's wondering if India's risks will pay off, or if de Villiers is right to be worried.
