Sanjay Manjrekar critical of Jasprit Bumrah’s Test availability
Sanjay Manjrekar criticised Jasprit Bumrah’s limited Test participation and urged selectors to prioritise fit and available players.
The debate over Jasprit Bumrah’s restricted availability in longer Test series continues to stir discussions. The world No. 1 fast bowler was part of India’s squad for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy but played only three matches, citing workload management. Though India won both Tests in which Bumrah did not feature, his repeated absences have raised concerns among fans and experts.
Several former players believe that a cricketer should only be part of the squad if he is available for every match, except in case of injury during the tour. Adding his opinion to the ongoing debate, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said Bumrah should not be India’s frontline choice in Tests.
In his column for the Hindustan Times, Manjrekar praised India’s series win in England but offered a sharp view on Bumrah’s role. “The game will always show us the mirror, however much we try and gloss over things. It was poetic justice that the two Tests India won were two matches Bumrah did not play.”
“This should embolden the Indian selectors to make some hard choices when it comes to big-name players. This series has been a great lesson to them and to us too, the two Test victories India achieved did not feature Virat (Kohli), (Cheteshwar) Pujara, Rohit (Sharma), (Mohammed) Shami and Bumrah too! It reminded us of the eternal truth of sport and life, no one, however great, is indispensable.
“And this is how India must handle Bumrah. If he cannot play more than two matches in a row or sometimes even more than one, he must not be your frontline pick,” Manjrekar wrote.
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The former batter emphasised that selectors should give preference to players who are fit and ready to perform over big names. “Players who are match fit, eager, keen to play and perform should be picked any day for me over a highly skilled player. It will motivate such enthusiastic players even more,” he added.
Referring to India’s recent success, Manjrekar highlighted how other pacers stepped up in Bumrah’s absence. “In this series, Akash Deep & Siraj replicated the Bumrah impact in the two wins, of course, this is not likely to become a pattern, but it should give the selectors the guts to take hard calls on big-name players, just as they do with Kuldeep Yadav.”
Manjrekar, however, made it clear that he remains an admirer of Bumrah but stressed the importance of longevity in Test cricket. “As for Bumrah, of whom I am a fan, if he really wants to serve Indian Test cricket, longevity and durability are an imperative for him; it’s after all the true test of a great athlete is to still turn up when not 100% fit and deliver. “Indian cricket must not adjust for Bumrah, Bumrah must. That is, if he wants to,” he concluded.
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Last Updated on August 16, 2025
