AB de Villiers Questions India's Handling of Bumrah's Workload in England Test Series

Former South African captain AB de Villiers has sparked debate regarding India's reported plan to limit Jasprit Bumrah to just three Tests in the ongoing five-match series against England. De Villiers, a strong advocate for Test cricket, voiced his surprise, implying that India might be mishandling their key bowler.

De Villiers emphasized the importance of Jasprit Bumrah playing, drawing parallels to how South Africa managed Dale Steyn's workload.

"He is probably the top bowler in the world in all formats right now," de Villiers stated. "In my opinion, this Test series would've been the one to get him ready for all five matches. That's what we did with Dale - rest him in less important T20 and ODI series and have him fully ready for the big Test tours - Australia, England, India."

De Villiers also pondered whether medical advice was a factor in the decision. "Maybe the surgeon told him he can't play all five. If that's the case, you've got to respect it. But if it's about workload, then I'm not sure they've gone about it the right way," he commented.

He further emphasized that unless Bumrah is suffering from a significant injury, he should be playing in the remaining games. "It doesn't get bigger than a five-Test series against England - other than maybe the WTC final. If he's fit, he must play. If not, I understand the caution."

De Villiers playfully suggested that India's strategy might be a ploy to surprise England. "Maybe it's part of the plan - say he'll miss some games and then play all five. Hopefully, that's the surprise with India 0-1 down."

He also expressed confidence in India's squad depth: "It's a big opportunity for someone like Arshdeep Singh or maybe Kuldeep Yadav to step up."