"It's not a moral or ethical debate" - Aakash Chopra on whether Jasprit Bumrah should retire from Tests

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Jasprit Bumrah's Test future isn't a matter of a moral or ethical debate. He added that the unconventional seamer should be allowed to choose whichever Tests he wants to play.

Bumrah played only three Tests in the recently concluded five-match series against England. Several cricket experts have stated that the ace seamer should be picked for Tests only if he is available for all matches in a series.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener was asked whether Bumrah should retire from Tests and concentrate on white-ball cricket.

"I was also reading Sanjay Manjrekar's piece. In the Hindustan Times, he wrote that the team shouldn't adjust for Bumrah and, instead, Bumrah should adjust for the team. I know there are plenty of opinions as to what should be done. I will be honest, I don't think he will play all Test matches," Chopra responded.

"He is going to pick and choose. Whether it's right or wrong, it's not a moral or ethical debate, is what I think. If you have a player of that level available, play him whenever he can," he added.

Jasprit Bumrah picked up 14 wickets at a decent average of 26.00 in the three Tests he played against England. The visitors' two victories in the drawn series came in games he wasn't part of the XI.

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"Bowlers need to be rotated in any case in a series of 3 or 4 Tests" - Aakash Chopra on Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah suffered a back injury in the final Test of BGT 2024-25. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that it would have been a problem had Jasprit Bumrah played selective Tests as a batter, highlighting that seam bowlers generally don't play all Tests in a long series.

"Jasprit Bumrah, as a bowler, you can adjust the bowling combination very easily. It doesn't make a difference. If Bumrah had been a batter, a No. 4 or an opener, and had said that he would play two matches and won't play after that, then it's a problem. Bowlers need to be rotated in any case in a series of three or four Tests," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the potent seamer shouldn't be forced into Test retirement.

"There is no bowler like Bumrah. Don't push him forcibly towards early retirement because he is 24-carat pure gold. He is the Kohinoor diamond. The longer he plays, the better it is. I don't think he will play too much Test cricket, but for however long he plays, I would say hold onto it. That's just my feeling," Chopra observed.

Jasprit Bumrah has picked up 219 wickets at an average of 19.82 in 48 Tests. He was the Player of the Series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 and had the best average among all Indian bowlers in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.