Jasprit Bumrah's absence from India's must-win fifth Test at The Oval has sparked a debate on the pacer's future in the long format. The No 1 ranked Test bowler opted out of the fifth Test to manage his workload while India trailed the series 1-2.

"Going forward, there needs to be a clear plan on how to manage Bumrah's Test career," a BCCI source told news agency PTI. Earlier, the BCCI issued a statement that read that Bumrah was released from the squad for the fifth Test.

Ahead of the series, Bumrah had announced that he would not play more than three Tests. The 31-year-old played the first, third, and fourth matches, missing out on the second one that India won.

After day one at The Oval, India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said Bumrah's situation was complex. "We obviously want to wheel him in, but we also want to respect where his body's at, and on the basis of that, we just felt that it wasn't worth including him in the squad," said Doeschate.

India have a two-match Test series against West Indies and South Africa upcoming, which shouldn't be a problem for Bumrah.

However, the Asia Cup is due in September, and India will want Bumrah to be available. "He would want to play those events. Considering his body, he can't play every game. He needs to be managed with extra care. Playing him at The Oval would have been a huge risk," the BCCI source said.

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