"They didn't ask me about Virat or Rohit's retirement" - Deep Dasgupta on questions about Jasprit Bumrah ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Former India player Deep Dasgupta has disclosed that England fans and former cricketers are more interested in the number of Tests Jasprit Bumrah would play in the upcoming series between the two sides than Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirements. He noted that the potential battle between Bumrah and Joe Root could decide the result of the series.

India and England will square off in a five-match Test series, with the first game starting in Leeds on Friday, June 20. Bumrah is among five specialist seamers in the visitors' 18-member squad, with Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep being the other four.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Dasgupta was asked whether the battle between Bumrah and Root could be the defining factor in the series.

"There is no doubt that Joe Root will be a massive deciding factor. How many runs Joe Root scores will to a great extent dictate how England perform in this Test series. Obviously, there is no one better than Jasprit Bumrah," he responded.

"However, the first question people asked me here was how many Test matches Bumrah would play. They didn't ask me about Virat or Rohit's retirement. The first question everyone has, I am talking about English people, is whether it's true that he will play only three Tests," Dasgupta added.

The former India wicketkeeper-batter revealed that the England supporters became nervous when they heard that Bumrah could play all five Tests.

"I told them that three has just been kept as a benchmark and that he will play all five if he remains fit, considering the gaps between games. Their smiles disappear as soon as they hear that he might even play five Tests," Dasgupta observed.

Jasprit Bumrah sustained a back injury during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 in Sydney. Questions remain about his availability for the entire series, with head coach Gautam Gambhir suggesting in the pre-departure press conference that the unconventional seamer might play three games.

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"It all boils down to how many overs he bowls" - Varun Aaron on Jasprit Bumrah's availability for ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Jasprit Bumrah returned to competitive cricket in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, former India pacer Varun Aaron was asked whether Jasprit Bumrah could play more than three Tests, considering the big gaps between matches.

"At the end of the day, it all boils down to how many overs he bowls, and not how many matches he plays. As you said, there is a good recovery time between all matches," he replied.

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that Bumrah would have to be rested for one match at least.

"You have 10 days, a week, or five days. So that's a lot of time where he can recover. Max to max, Bumrah will play 4 matches. He will have to rest one match for sure," Aaron observed.

Jasprit Bumrah has picked up 205 wickets at an average of 19.40 in 45 Tests. He has accounted for 37 dismissals at an average of 26.27 in nine Tests in England.