Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has hit back at the idea of “workload management,” citing the example of Indian Army jawans who patrol the borders in the harshest conditions.
“If you’re going to succumb to people talking about workload, then you’ll never have your best players on the field,” Gavaskar told India Today.
The ball that Mohammed Siraj bowled to Gus Atkinson to rattle his stumps was Siraj’s fifth fastest delivery of the series, and this came after five Tests in which he bowled a whopping 185.2 overs. He ended up as the leading wicket-taker with 23 wickets in the series. He was the last bowler remaining from both sides to play all the games at the end alongside Chris Woakes. Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, appreciative of Siraj’s workload, said that he debunked the “business of workload.”
“There’s always the saying that the bowlers win your matches, but the fact of the matter is that you’ve also got to score the runs. So because India didn’t score the runs, they lost those two matches. So yes, I think Siraj bowled his heart out, and he debunked forever this business of workload,” he said, speaking to India Today.
Gavaskar, however, made it clear that his criticism was not directed at Bumrah, saying that his was a case of “injury management” more than anything else.
“When you are playing for your country, forget the aches and the pains. On the border, do you think that the jawans are complaining about cold? What did Rishabh Pant show you? He came out to bat with a fracture. That is what you expect from the players. Playing cricket for India is an honour,” Gavaskar told ‘India Today’.
“You are representing 140 crore people and that is what we saw in Mohammed Siraj. I think Siraj bowled his heart out, and he debunked forever this business of workload.
“For five Test matches, non-stop he has bowled 7-8 over spells, because the captain wanted him and the country expected of him,” added the former skipper. The 76-year-old said workload management cannot come in the way of fielding the best available team.
“If you are going to succumb to people who are talking about workload, then you are never going to have your best players on the field for your country,” he said.
“I hope that the word ‘workload’ goes out of the Indian cricket dictionary. I’ve been saying that for a long time… And I think that is the one thing that we all should keep in mind that this workload is only a mental thing, not so much a physical thing,” he added.
England, set a target of 374 to win, lost a nail-biting encounter by just six runs, with Siraj returning innings figures of 5/104 as India ended a rollercoaster campaign level at 2-2.
The hosts resumed Monday’s final day on 339/6, needing just 35 more runs for a win that would have secured a 3-1 series victory.
But they had no answer to the enduring skill of fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, who featured in all five Tests.
He dismantled England with a brilliant burst of 3/9 in 25 balls, ending the match in style by knocking over Gus Atkinson’s off-stump.
