Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has addressed the subject of Jasprit Bumrah's bowling workload following India's defeat in the fourth Test match against Australia in Melbourne on Monday. In the ongoing five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, Bumrah has been putting in the hard yards, leading India's bowling attack.
He has alone managed to pick up 30 wickets, contributing significantly to India's bid for a strong performance in this high-stakes Test series. Rohit Sharma, while speaking to media, acknowledged the importance of Bumrah’s role in the team but emphasized the need for careful management of his bowling workload.
"Yeah, there is. To be honest, he has bowled a lot of overs. There is no doubt about it. But again, every Test match we play, we keep that in mind. You know, the workloads of all the bowlers in fact. But again, if somebody is in such a great form, you want to try and maximise that form how much ever you can. And that is what we've been trying to do with Bumrah," Rohit said.
"But there comes a time where you need to step back a little bit and give him that little bit of extra breather as well. So, we've been very careful. I've been very careful. I talk to him about how he feels and stuff like that. So, yeah. Those things should be managed carefully. And I'm trying to do that on the field."
In the first Test in Perth, Bumrah single-handedly led the side to victory with his crushing bowling attack, claiming eight wickets across both innings. As things stand, Australia lead the series 2-1 after pulling off a comprehensive victory in the fourth Test in Melbourne. Australia will win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw the fifth and final Test in Sydney. The fifth Test will begin on Friday.