On Day 3 of the India vs. England Test in Manchester, the hosts cruised through the match, thanks to a 150 from Joe Root and fifties for Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes.
As England took a lead of 186 runs, among the concerning factors during England's day was Jasprit Bumrah appearing somewhat timid regarding the speeds he was bowling.
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After being advised to rest for two of the five Tests in the series, Bumrah is playing his final Test of the series and did not clock 140 kmph for much of England's innings.
This once again raised the old question about Bumrah opting to rest during the Test series while playing the entire Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
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Jasprit Bumrah couldn't have rested during IPL 2025
While reviewing Day 3 of the Test on his YouTube Channel (Ash Ki Baat), Ashwin spoke about the Indian pacer bowling reasonably well on the previous evening, with an economy rate under 3 runs/over.
The CSK spinner felt the drop in speed in Bumrah's bowling on Day 3 was no cause for concern, considering the state of the game.
He believed the bowlers had to preserve their energy and focus more on their lines to keep the ball tight when the batters were set.
According to the former India player, Bumrah looked fit to bowl faster when the right moment came and dismissed the question of resting him during the IPL, given how commercially important he is to the league.
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What did R Ashwin say about Jasprit Bumrah resting in India vs England 4th Test?
"It is tough [to rest] with the IPL window — imagine resting Jasprit Bumrah and other big names ahead of such a series with so much commerce involved. Franchises will raise questions," said the former spinner.
"You don't want Bumrah to be resting in the IPL, It is a brilliant product. It may sound weird but the fact is that IPL is a question of commerce, it is an economic model and a question of one of the greatest sporting events across the world — it competes with the biggest events and is at par with it," Ashwin emphasized.
The 38-year-old also pointed out the high economy rates of the supporting bowlers, who conceded over 4 runs per over — the rest of the bowling group did not support Bumrah enough for Ashwin.
Notably, the pacer was also seen hobbling for a bit after he tripped on the staircase and hurt his left ankle during Day 3.
However, the bowler bowled as usual after Tea without any discomfort and also took Jamie Smith's wicket cheaply.