I think he won't play" - Aakash Chopra on India's potential bowling lineup for IND vs WI 2025 Tests

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Jasprit Bumrah won't play the upcoming Test series against the West Indies. While acknowledging that India suffered a 3-0 loss in their last Test series at home against New Zealand, he reckoned that the ace seamer can skip the matches against the Windies.

India will face the West Indies in a two-match Test series, with the first game scheduled to start in Ahmedabad on October 2. The selectors are expected to pick the Indian squad for their second series of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle on Wednesday, September 24.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener noted that Bumrah is unlikely to feature in the two Tests against the West Indies, and certainly not in the first game.

"The Test selection is about to happen. It's a two-match series which will start on October 2. The West Indies team will be in front of them, and India have to pick their team. Again, the big question will be whether Bumrah will play. I think he won't play," Chopra said (8:55).

"The Asia Cup final will be played on September 28 and you won't see him playing Test series continuously in any case. He won't play the first Test 100 percent. The West Indies games, I am not being disrespectful, and wins aren't guaranteed in home games, New Zealand showed that to us recently, but they can be left," he added.

Jasprit Bumrah suffered a back injury in the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 earlier this year. He played only three of the five Tests in India's tour of England, with the visitors winning the two games he didn't play.

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"You can play a spin trio here" - Aakash Chopra on why Jasprit Bumrah can be rested for IND vs WI 2025 Tests

Jasprit Bumrah has played only 12 Tests in India. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that India can manage without Jasprit Bumrah in the home Tests against the West Indies as they can play a three-pronged spin attack.

"You can play a spin trio here. Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja can play together here, and then the two fast bowlers, who can be Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. You will be able to manage without Bumrah. So I feel Bumrah's chances of playing here are slightly less," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator reckoned that India's squad would have four spinners, three pacers, and Nitish Kumar Reddy as a seam-bowling all-rounder.

"I don't think he will get picked. He will be rested. Four spinners - Axar (Patel), Jadeja, Kuldeep and Washington Sundar. I think three pacers - Prasidh, Siraj and Akash Deep, and another fast-bowling all-rounder in the form of Nitish Kumar Reddy," Chopra observed.

Jasprit Bumrah has picked up 219 wickets at an excellent average of 19.82 in 48 Tests. However, he has played only 12 Tests on home soil, accounting for 47 wickets at an even better average of 17.19.