Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik believes the team management will make strategic use of Jasprit Bumrah’s availability during the upcoming Test series in England, keeping in mind the pacer’s carefully managed workload. As per Karthik, Bumrah is likely to feature in the first, second, and fourth Tests, as the schedule between those games offers enough breathing room for recovery.

India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar had earlier clarified that Bumrah wouldn’t be playing back-to-back matches, as a precaution following a stress reaction in his back—an injury he sustained during the Sydney Test against Australia in January. Since then, the fast bowler sat out of India’s Champions Trophy triumph and only recently returned to competitive action in the IPL 2025, turning out for the Mumbai Indians.

At the pre-tour press conference, India head coach Gautam Gambhir admitted that no final decision had been made on which specific Tests Bumrah would play. However, cricket pundits, including Karthik, have weighed in, pointing to England venues like Headingley, Edgbaston, and Old Trafford—grounds where conditions are tailor-made for Bumrah’s unique skillset with the Dukes ball.

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Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Dinesh Karthik said, “From what I’ve heard, I think they plan to use Bumrah in three matches. Logically, I’d say he plays Tests one, two, and four. The gaps between them are enough for him to recover and come back at full tilt.”

Karthik also speculated on the possibility of Bumrah being requested to play the fifth Test, depending on the series situation. “If it’s 2-1 either way, I won’t be surprised if they ask him to reconsider for the fifth match,” he said.

Bumrah has a strong record in England—37 wickets in 9 Tests at an average of 26.27, with an economy rate of 2.72—proving his impact in swinging conditions.

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India Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul. Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj. Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.