Jasprit Bumrah’s ability to bounce back from injuries and perform at the highest level has been a crucial factor in India’s recent success, according to former India bowling coach Bharat Arun. He believes that the management of Bumrah’s workload has been key to his sustained performance, particularly in crucial tournaments like the T20 World Cup. Arun, speaking on the sidelines of the Pondicherry Premier League (PPL) team Yanam Royals’ jersey launch event, highlighted Bumrah’s importance to the team. “I think everybody knows what Bumrah is capable of. We managed him well, so for the most important events, he is absolutely fit for you, because he is the No. 1 bowler you can have,” Arun stated. With a demanding schedule for the Indian team, which includes tours of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia, Arun emphasized the need for careful workload management of Indian fast bowlers. “It’s ( workload management ) a no-brainer. Managing the fast bowlers, considering the kind of Test matches we are going to play in the future, is going to be very important. Too less a load or too much of a load, both are a problem; you’ve got to make sure that they get an optimal load,” he said. Arun further emphasized the importance of having a deep pool of fast bowlers. “We have a healthy pool; we have always had good fast bowlers. But how we manage them is even more important. Because if you play five Test matches in Australia, you need at least six bowlers. Maybe three or four would be playing in a game, but to keep them fresh for five Test matches, you need to rotate among six bowlers. So, to have six bowlers, you must work with 10 or a dozen bowlers,” he explained. Looking ahead, Arun believes it is essential to prepare a new generation of fast bowlers to take over from the current crop. With Bumrah being carefully managed and Mohammed Shami currently recovering from an ankle injury, Arun suggested that young bowlers like Mayank Yadav, Umran Malik, Khaleel Ahmed, and Avesh Khan could be ready to fill the void in the Test team. “So, apart from those who are playing for India, you do have a good set of bowlers who can really come to the party when it matters most. But how prepared are they? That’s going to be the biggest challenge. They have the potential; we need to prepare them,” Arun concluded.
