"Need Brains To Use Jasprit Bumrah": Ravi Shastri's Fresh Dig At Gautam Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar

Amid India's bowling struggles in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa, Ravi Shastri aimed a veiled dig at the team management over pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's workload debate. In Bumrah's absence, the pace attack, comprising of the likes of Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, has been badly exposed by the Proteas batters. India have conceded nearly 700 runs in the first two matches. While addressing the pace spearhead's workload concerns, Shastri stated that one needs to have brains to properly utilise Bumrah. (Follow India vs South Africa 3rd ODI Live)

"Bumrah is a dada bowler. Bumrah ko lene ke liye bhi akal hona chahiye na. (For utilising Bumrah, you need to have brains). You made him a white-ball bowler, so how has he become a red-ball bowler?" said Shastri on Prabhat Khabar.

Bumrah was in the middle of a major 'workload management' controversy after he played just three out of five matches in England. Recently, he played two Tests against South Africa and although he skipped the ODI series, the star fast bowler will be back for the T20Is.

Recently, former India all-rounder R Ashwin advised Jasprit Bumrah to just play white-ball cricket and feature in Tests only when absolutely required. He, however, added that even if Bumrah insists on playing Test cricket, he should stay away from 'meaningless' ODIs but play T20 cricket.

"I've got a great relationship with him. If I were anywhere near him, I'd go and tell him, you know what, just play the white ball format. Unless and until we need you, do not step into the Test side. And that's what I would tell him. But I know him personally. He loves the Test format. He wants to play as long as he can. He knows it's going to be a challenge," Ashwin said during a conversation with AB de Villiers on YouTube.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Jasprit Bumrah Ravi Shastri Cricket