IND vs ENG: Ryan ten Doeschate Defends Jasprit Bumrah's Omission For Workload Management: "It Was Right To Honour That Call'

Despite severe rumours, India chose to rest Jasprit Bumrah in the 5th and final Test match at the Oval. Bumrah's selection has been the burning question since the start of the IND vs ENG Test series.

Jasprit Bumrah Didn't Feature At The Oval

India entered the 5th Test match with a massive boost, having pulled off a brilliant draw in Manchester, courtesy of some sensational batting display. With the series on the line, the management was expected to name a competent side capable of defeating England to restore parity in the series. Although it was pre-decided that Bumrah would feature in only three Test matches in a bid to preserve his body in the long run, his presence at the Oval was mooted as India relied on their maverick pacer heavily in the red-ball format over the last few years.

Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate revealed they wanted to respect Bumrah's body as he bowled a lot of overs in the three Test matches he played so far. As quoted by Cricbuzz, he said,  “You know, we obviously want to wheel him out, but we also want to respect where his body's at.

“And on the basis of that, we just felt that it wasn't worth including him in the squad [XI for the Oval Test]. You know, he has bowled a large number of overs. I know it doesn't always seem like that because he's only played three Tests and he only bowled in one innings in Manchester.”

He further added, "But if you look at the loads, he has bowled a lot of overs. And like he did say coming into the tour, he was going to be available for three games. And we just felt it was right to honour that call."

Also Read: 'Mistakes do Happen': India Coach's Ridiculous Defense For Shubman Gill's Bizarre Runout at Oval

India Lost Control As England Bowlers Took Charge

Shubman Gill lost the toss for a record 15th time, and England bowlers took advantage of the Oval surface and weather. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul departed cheaply, while Shubman Gill had only himself to blame as a moment of disaster saw India crumble against the England bowling lineup. Josh Tongue removed both Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja in a span of four overs, and the onus will be on Karun Nair, who is hanging on the pitch with a well-made half-century.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: Rain To Play Spoilsport On The 2nd Day Of The Oval Test? Here's London's Hourly Weather Forecast