“I’m not in favour of bowlers picking and choosing Tests” - Ex-Indian cricketer slams Jasprit Bumrah for selecting matches

Former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar has slammed the Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for “picking and choosing” matches in the ongoing England tour to manage his workload concerns. 

Notably, Bumrah was advised by the medical team to play only three out of five Tests in the ongoing five-match Test series to manage his workload, which didn’t go down well with the cricketing fraternity. 

However, Vengsarkar has voiced strong criticism, stating that if a player is fit enough, he should play all the matches for the country, adding that there shouldn’t be a question of selecting matches based on personal preference.

“I’m not in favour of bowlers picking and choosing Test matches. If you’re fit and available, you should play all the matches for your country. Bumrah is a world-class bowler, and he can win matches for India. But once you’re on tour, you need to play every match. There’s no question of selecting matches based on personal preference,” Vengsarkar told RevSportz.

Furthermore, Vengsarkar asserted that if a player isn’t fit enough to play all five Tests of the series, he shouldn’t have been part of the squad. With India getting an eight-day rest before the start of the fourth Test, Vengsarkar feels Bumrah should be fit and available for selection.

“What is important is playing for India, and if you are unfit, then don’t play at all. He had a gap of almost 7–8 days after the first Test match, but still was not included for the second Test, which was not acceptable. Maybe it was acceptable for Agarkar and Gambhir,” he added.

Later, Vengsarkar sounded confident of India’s chances to win the Manchester Test and the series against England. India is scheduled to play England in the fourth and fifth Tests, starting on July 23 and July 31, respectively.

“India has the capability to win both the series and the Manchester Test. They just need to play to their potential. They’ve got a strong team with a lot of talent. I’m confident that they’ll do well and win the Test,” he predicted.

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