India's Jasprit Bumrah set to play three Tests against England, says longest format remains 'pinnacle' of cricket

The recent Test retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have left India without two legends of the game – or OGs as Jasprit Bumrah has called them – for the series in England, but the tourists will be able to call upon the best all-format bowler in the world.

Few, if any, would suggest Bumrah is not that, with his jerky run-up, peculiar angles, swing, control, and array of slower balls and yorkers helping him amass 205 wickets in 45 Tests at an average below 20 and sit atop the ICC bowling rankings in the longest form.

Add in over 500 wickets in white-ball games across domestic and international cricket and the 31-year-old has become a legend, or OG, himself. And the bad news for England’s ‘Bazballers’ is that he is feeling fit ahead of the five-Test contest that starts on Friday.

Bumrah suffered a back injury during the final match of India’s 3-1 defeat in Australia over the winter and spent three months on the sidelines, missing the victorious Champions Trophy campaign in the process, before returning to action in the IPL this spring.

He will now re-enter red-ball cricket in England, with the plan for him to feature in three of the Tests, starting with the opener at Headingley from Friday, live on Sky Sports (11am first ball).

Bumrah told Sky Sports commentator and former India team-mate Dinesh Karthik: “The body is feeling good, no issues, no complaints. I always try to look after my body and do everything in my power. Coming into this series, I have prepared really well.

“I have to be smart as well as I am not becoming younger by the day. I have to take care of my body as I would love to play for longer and contribute in all three formats.

“I plan on the go but three Test matches is what I am looking at, what I can manage at this moment.

“The first is definitely going to happen, the rest we see how things are, what is the workload, what are the scenarios. Hopefully in the games I play I give my absolute best.”

Bumrah on rejecting captaincy: I wanted to put team first

Bumrah – who has taken 60 wickets at an average of 22.16 in 14 games against England, including 37 away from home – says the fact he will not take part in every Test this time around was key in his decision not to be Rohit’s successor as captain.

The quick led India during the first Test in Australia late last year – a game his side won by a whopping 295 runs in Perth – and then again for the finale in Sydney, but the side will now be helmed on a permanent basis by batter Shubman Gill.

“There are no fancy stories, no controversy, no headlines that I was sacked,” added Bumrah, who underwent back surgery in 2023.

“I discussed about my workloads going forward, spoke to the people who have managed my back, spoke to the surgeon.

“I came to the conclusion I have to be a little more smart so I called the BCCI and said I don’t want to be looked at in a leadership role.

“They were looking at me for leadership but I had to say no as it’s not fair for the team if in a five-Test series, three matches somebody else is leading and two matches somebody else is leading.

“I always wanted to put the team first. Captaincy meant a lot, I worked very hard for it, but unfortunately sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture. I love cricket more than captaincy.

“I am there for [Gill] in whatever capacity. If I see something I can give a quiet word but I want him to be free to operate how he wants.”

‘Young India squad are fearless and have no baggage’

The exits of Kohli, Rohit and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin – the latter calling time on his international career during the Australia series – mean India have a largely inexperienced touring party and Bumrah now finds himself as one of the senior figures.

But what India do not lack is talent, with top-order batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored two double hundreds against England in the home series at the start of 2024 during a 4-1 triumph, one of a number of players who could flourish this summer.

Bumrah added: “It’s a different phase, it has a different vibe – a nice, quiet energy and it feels very young. I was the youngster and suddenly I have become the older person!

“Nobody has any baggage as a lot of them are coming for their first tour. It could be an advantage that they are fearless and go with an attacking approach.”

Bumrah’s desire to be an all-format star may make him one of the last of a dying breed with many players now prioritising the white-ball arena – and the lucrative finances that come with it – amid a packed cricketing calendar.

He understands the lure of the shorter formats but insists Tests remain the place where your legacy is truly built.

“Everybody is different but I come from a time when Test cricket was the pinnacle. It is the format I grew up watching and I will always judge myself in this format,” he said.

“You cannot judge any fast bowler as everybody’s mindset is different. It is difficult to have that same drive and keep on going [with so many games]. It is draining mentally so youngsters may have to pick and choose.

“But I think [Test cricket] is the best and I would encourage people to play this format if you want respect.

“If that is your motivation, this is the format.”

Watch India take on England in the five-match series live on Sky Sports Cricket or stream with NOW. The first Test at Headingley starts on Friday with build-up from 10am and the first ball at 11am.