3 reasons why Jasprit Bumrah skipping the 5th ENG vs IND 2025 Test is the right move

Ahead of the five-Test England vs India series, the visitors made a big show of proclaiming that Jasprit Bumrah will be available for only three matches. After that, however, there were a lot of contrasting reports and comments regarding his fitness and availability.

Bumrah had already played three of the first four matches, but there were talks about whether he will be able to feature in the fifth and final encounter at The Oval. India are currently 1-2 down in the series, and head coach Gautam Gambhir even claimed that the pacer is fit for the contest.

With the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on the line, Shubman Gill and Co. were seemingly tempted by the possibility of the ace spearhead managing to produce something brilliant in the fifth Test. However, those ideas have been rightly nipped in the bud, with reports emerging that Bumrah will not turn out for the side at The Oval.

On that note, here are three reasons why Bumrah skipping the fifth Test is the right move.

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#3 His pace has been down, and he's already broken down towards the end of a series before

England v India - 4th Rothesay Test Match: Day Four - Source: Getty

Statistics have showed that the percentage of Jasprit Bumrah's deliveries over 140 kph has dropped drastically over the course of the three Tests he has played. At Manchester, the ace pacer barely touched the mark across the 33 overs he bowled.

That isn't a good sign, with the end of the series approaching. Not too long ago, Bumrah struggled to get through a tough tour of Australia, with his body breaking down towards the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He spent some time on the sidelines after that, and India wouldn't want the same to happen.

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#2 Bumrah reportedly injured his ankle during the Manchester Test

England v India - 4th Rothesay Test Match: Day Four - Source: Getty

Bumrah reportedly injured his ankle while going up the stairs at Old Trafford. Although he came back to bowl with the second new ball, his run-up was clearly a bit ginger, and he wasn't nearly as effective as India would've liked.

The visitors will need to be careful with Bumrah and ensure that he doesn't aggravate his injury. There is a very short turnaround between the two Tests, and even the slight remnants of a niggle could come back to bite the side in the all-important fifth Test.

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#1 Jasprit Bumrah is too valuable an all-format asset to be risked

England v India - 4th Rothesay Test Match: Day Four - Source: Getty

More importantly, India need to rest Bumrah with the long-term interests of the team at heart. The 31-year-old is easily the side's best bowler across formats, and there are a number of important tournaments coming up across formats.

ICC events like the 2026 T20 World Cup and 2027 World Cup aren't too far away, and India will need Bumrah to be at his absolute best in the lead-up to those. Test assignments against West Indies and South Africa are on the horizon as well, and losing the fast bowler in red-ball cricket would be a disaster amid the current strength of the pace reserves.