London: Ahead of the third Test against England at Lord’s, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak addressed growing discussions around fast bowlers’ workload management, clarifying that the strategy is not limited to pace ace Jasprit Bumrah but applies to all bowlers depending on their individual fitness and conditions.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Kotak highlighted the nuances of managing a bowling attack across formats and conditions. “Workload management is not applicable only to Bumrah. Every bowler has different issues and different fitness levels. We can’t apply the same thinking to all,” he said.
India’s pace battery for the upcoming Test is expected to feature the trio of Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep—an exciting combination given their recent form. Siraj was the standout performer at Edgbaston, claiming a sensational six-wicket haul in the first innings and finishing with seven wickets in the match. Meanwhile, Akash Deep impressed with a ten-wicket performance in the preceding match.
Captain Shubman Gill had earlier confirmed that Bumrah, who was rested for the second Test, will return to the playing XI for Lord’s. Bumrah had delivered nearly 44 overs in the first Test, grabbing five wickets in the first innings but going wicketless in the second.
Kotak noted that while there was ample rest between the first two Tests, the turnaround between the upcoming fixtures is tighter. “Siraj is a bowler who bowls a lot of overs. The bowling coach Morne Morkel and the strength and conditioning team closely monitor workloads. If a bowler feels the need to rest, that communication is open,” he added.
Since 2020, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have shouldered the bulk of India’s pace workload in Tests. Bumrah has bowled over 1030 overs and taken 148 wickets at an average of 19.75, while Siraj has delivered 956 overs for 109 wickets at an average of 30.95. In contrast, Mohammed Shami has bowled fewer than 500 overs during this period.
This dependence on Bumrah and Siraj becomes more pronounced on overseas tours, where seam-friendly pitches demand more from the pacers. At home, India has often relied on its spin arsenal—Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar—allowing fast bowlers some respite.
As India prepares to take the field at Lord’s, all eyes will be on how the pace trio performs and how the team continues to manage their workloads in this grueling five-match series.
