“Why was Jasprit Bumrah’s three-Test availability not kept a secret?” - Aakash Chopra questions Indian team management

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned the Indian team management and selection committee for not keeping Jasprit Bumrah's participation a secret in the five-match Test series against England.

Notably, during the squad selection for the England tour, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee had informed that Bumrah would play only three Tests in the five-match series to manage his workload concerns.

"Bumrah said he will play three matches only, and I am thinking whether it was required to publicize it. Why was it not kept a secret? We don't announce our team as well. So why was it necessary to reiterate it repeatedly before the start of the tour that he would play three matches only? Let them guess. You play whichever Tests you wish," Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Moreover, Chopra asserted that since Bumrah has played one game already, the England side would be wary in their preparations as the Indian seamer would be playing only two out of the next four games, and they would prepare pitches accordingly.

"You have played one, and you know you can play only two of the remaining four matches, which is not a good thing. If you play the second as well, you will play one of three. So, suddenly, the opposition gets into a great frame of mind that Bumrah, your biggest strength, is also not there. You can prepare pitches accordingly," he added.

Bumrah started off the England tour with a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the Leeds Test. Interestingly, it was his 12th fifer away from home. However, he couldn’t replicate his heroics in the second innings as England finished off the game with a five-wicket win.

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