Former Indian cricketer Balvinder Singh Sandhu shut down the criticism of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah for picking and choosing games to manage his workload. Sandhu questioned why batters taking breaks without any injury reasons haven't come under similar scrutiny over the years.Bumrah missed two out of the five Tests in the recent tour of England due to workload management. Incidentally, the visitors won both Tests that the champion pacer missed in Edgbaston and Oval.Talking about Bumrah's workload management and his absence in a select few matches, Sandhu, in his column for Mid-Day, said:"In these seven years, how many batsmen have gone without injury breaks? How many have opted out of a series quietly? Nobody really questions them. But when it comes to a fast bowler, everyone seems ready to pounce. The truth is — fast bowling is brutal."He continued:"Someone like Bumrah generates pace, not from a long run-up, but from sheer strength. And when you rely on strength, your muscles are bound to suffer wear and tear. Compare Bumrah to legends like Kapil Dev, Wasim Akram, Richard Hadlee, or Malcolm Marshall. They all had smoother biomechanics and long careers, but even they weren’t spared from injuries."Bumrah suffered a back injury in the fifth and final Test of the Australian tour earlier in the year, having played the entire series. He missed three months and returned to action midway through the IPL 2025 season."Jasprit Bumrah has had an average rest of just 3.2 days for every playing day" - Balvinder SandhuBalvinder Sandhu defended Jasprit Bumrah and the other Team India pacers, citing data from the last seven years. The 31-year-old has been India's best Test bowler, barring the injury absences, averaging an incredible 19.82 in 48 outings.Despite not being part of either of the two Indian wins in England, Bumrah impressed in the three matches he played, with 14 scalps at an average of 26."Jasprit Bumrah has had an average rest of just 3.2 days for every playing day across the last seven years, while Mohammed Siraj has had 3.5 days, and Mohammed Shami, 3.7. And remember — both Bumrah and Shami have also missed matches because of injuries. That only makes these statistics even more telling," said Sandhu (via the aforementioned source).He added:"If we added first-class or other domestic games, the workload would be much heavier. I didn’t have that data which means, we’re only looking at half the picture. Thus, it’s easy to criticise these pacers who have carried the load for India over the years, but when you see the actual numbers, one realises how punishing the life of a fast bowler is."Jasprit Bumrah is part of the Indian 15-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE, starting September 9.