India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate added a pinch of humour and a dose of insight as he addressed the absence of Jasprit Bumrah in the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval. Speaking after Day 1’s play, ten Doeschate took a playful jab at England, suggesting they had perhaps “got it spot on” by preparing the best bowling wicket of the series only after Bumrah had exhausted his pre-decided quota of three matches.

Bumrah, India’s premier fast bowler, had committed to playing only three of the five Tests in the series, a decision made even before the series began. He featured in the first, third, and fourth Tests, with India notably winning the second – the one Bumrah missed. That pattern sparked conversations about his rotation, but ten Doeschate defended the strategy as part of a bigger jigsaw puzzle – balancing India’s need for their strike bowler while safeguarding him from long-term injury.

“People were surprised when we didn’t play him in the third Test,” Ryan ten Doeschate admitted. “We thought The Oval, with its bounce but generally good batting conditions, might allow us to gamble a bit. If we’d won the toss, we would’ve bowled anyway. But these things are always easier to evaluate in hindsight.”

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He further joked, “Maybe England planned it perfectly, leaving the juiciest bowling surface for when Bumrah is unavailable. If that’s the case, well played to them.”

India found themselves on the back foot again after being put in to bat, closing Day 1 at 204 for six on a lively green track. Interestingly, England too were missing key pacers – Ben Stokes due to injury, and Jofra Archer rested with workload management in mind. Chris Woakes also picked up a shoulder niggle, continuing the trend of cautious player management.

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Addressing suggestions that Bumrah was cherry-picking games, Ryan ten Doeschate firmly refuted that idea. “Bumrah has bowled a lot of overs this series, even if it doesn’t feel like it because of how the matches have played out. He committed to three Tests, and he left it to the team management to decide which ones. We’ve tried to honour that and manage his workload responsibly,” he said.

Ten Doeschate also emphasised the emotional aspect behind such decisions. “Players never like missing games. They’re proud to represent India. It’s always tough, especially when you have an extended squad and someone like Bumrah can’t take the field,” he added.