Bumrah urged to give it all as India head to must-win Manchester Test

Jasprit Bumrah managing his workload during the ongoing Test series in England has not been a popular decision yet.

After yesteryear hero Dilip Vengsarkar, former star Irfan Pathan has urged Bumrah to give it his all as India head into the fourth Test, trailing 1-2.

"I absolutely adore Jasprit Bumrah, I absolutely love his skills. He is outstanding. However, I believe that when you play for India, you have to give it your all," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

"When you talk about a five-over spell, when Root comes, you are not bowling the sixth over. You have to give it all. Either you give everything or you rest properly. When it comes to a nation or a team, when you are playing for a team, you play for them. Team always comes first."

World Cup-winner Vengsarkar was furious the other day. "What is important is playing for India and if you are unfit, then don’t play at all. He had a gap of almost 7-8 days after the first Test match, but still was not included for the second Test which was not acceptable," Vengsarkar said in an interview with RevSportz.

"I’m not in favour of bowlers picking and choosing Test matches. If you’re fit and available, you should play all the matches for your country. Bumrah is a world-class bowler, and he can win matches for India. But once you’re on tour, you need to play every match. There’s no question of selecting matches based on personal preference."

Bumrah had announced before the series opener in Leeds on June 20 that he would not be available for the entire series. "Three Test matches are what I can manage at the moment," Bumrah said. Chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, confirmed this ahead of the series. "I don't think he's available for all five Tests going by what the physios and the doctors have told us," Agarkar said.

India will be hoping Bumrah can bowl at his best in the fourth Test starting July 23 at Manchester. Bumrah picked fifers in the first and third Tests that he played, but ended up on the losing side. Bumrah's absence in the second Test wasn't felt as India secured a thumping 336-run win at Birmingham.