Seldom has the aspirations of an entire Indian cricket team been so heavily reliant on a single fast bowler during a Test series. The 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar series may not have favoured India, revealing several shortcomings and reportedly some fissures within the team. Nevertheless, it will be remembered for the remarkable performances of Jasprit Bumrah, who stood as the solitary champion for India.

Bumrah achieved a remarkable tally of 32 wickets across five matches, including three five-wicket hauls, earning him the Player of the Series accolade. This achievement marks the highest number of wickets taken by an Indian bowler in a series held in Australia, and it represents the finest performance by an Indian fast bowler in a Test series.

However, the campaign concluded on a disheartening note as Bumrah was unable to participate in the final innings of the Sydney Test due to a back injury. The concerns surrounding his fitness, which the BCCI has yet to officially address, raised issues regarding his workload management, particularly as the 31-year-old bowler delivered a total of 151.2 overs throughout the series, including a staggering 53.2 overs in the match at the MCG, the most he has bowled in a single game. This situation has prompted discussions about whether India could have better managed Bumrah's workload during the series.

Disregard the prospect of representing India. Return and participate in T20 matches instead

The workload theory faced strong criticism from former Indian fast bowler and 1983 World Cup champion Balwinder Sandhu, who asserted that bowling an average of 15 to 20 overs per inning is not particularly challenging.

"Workload? How many overs did he bowl? Over 150, correct? But how many matches or innings did that encompass? Five matches or nine innings, right? That averages out to 16 overs per innings or 30 overs per match. Moreover, he did not bowl those 15-plus overs consecutively; he bowled in spells. So, is it really a significant issue? Workload management is nonsense. These are terms coined by Australians. Workload management is trivial. I do not subscribe to this notion. I hail from a time when cricketers paid attention to their bodies rather than external opinions. I completely disagree with this," Sandhu expressed to the Times of India.

The seasoned cricketer expressed frustration towards Bumrah, suggesting that if he cannot manage to bowl at least 20 overs in an innings, he should consider stepping away from Test cricket and focus on T20 formats instead.

"Bowling 15 overs in a day, especially in different spells, is not a considerable challenge for a bowler. You are not required to bowl every day of a Test match. He utilized three or four spells to achieve those overs. Nowadays, players have access to top-notch physiotherapists, masseurs, and doctors to maintain their physical condition. If a bowler cannot manage 20 overs in an innings, they should reconsider their place in the Indian team.

To represent India, one must possess the capability to bowl at least 20 overs in an innings. If that is not feasible, it would be wiser to return to T20 cricket, where the requirement is merely four overs, even if those are bowled in three spells," he continued.

"In our time, we regularly bowled 25 to 30 overs in a day. Kapil Dev consistently bowled long spells throughout his career. The body and muscles adapt and strengthen through continuous bowling. Therefore, I do not support the concept of workload management," the former pacer concluded.

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