Irfan Pathan tears into Gambhir, Gill for 'disappointing' Bumrah management in Lord's Test: 'You have to win at all costs'

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan did not held back as he criticised Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir for poorly managing Jasprit Bumrah’s workload during the Lord’s Test, which India lost. He also compared Bumrah to Ben Stokes. read more

Irfan Pathan said that there's no need to manage Jasprit Bumrah's workload during a match and he should be available when needed. Images: PTI/Reuters

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has torn into Indian cricket team captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir for mismanaging Jasprit Bumrah’s workload in the Lord’s Test and being overprotective as the visitors were handed a crushing 22-run loss in the third Test against England.

The narrow victory allowed England to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series against India as home team captain Ben Stokes bowled his heart out on the final day to script a memorable win. Stokes bowled 19.2 overs on Day 5 of the Lord’s Test and picked up three wickets, playing a massive role in England's win.

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Overall, he bowled 24 overs in the final innings after bowling 20 in the first innings. In comparison, Bumrah also bowled 43 overs in the match but only 16 in the final innings as England handed India a target of 193, which proved to be insurmountable at the end.

The most amazing fact about Stokes’ bowling on Day 5 was that he bowled 9.2 and 10 overs in his two spells, whereas Bumrah on Day 4 was missing from the attack during multiple phases as Gill and Gambhir tried to manage his workload.

Irfan Pathan criticises Gill, Gambhir for Bumrah management

Criticising the way Bumrah was handled in the Lord’s Test, Pathan feels the Indian team’s workload management tactics were “disappointing” as the team comes before a player.

“Ben Stokes bowled a marathon 9.2 over spell in the morning on day five. What a player he is. He bowls, bats and executes a crucial run out of Rishabh Pant, but there is no talk of workload management. But with India, it is not like that. Bumrah bowls five overs and waits for Joe Root to come out to bat when you need to control the game in the second innings," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

“It was disappointing. His workload was managed, having not played at Edgbaston. When you play a match, there is no workload. You have to win at all costs. The Indian camp could have done that better,” he added.

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