India is gearing up for a five-Test series against England that starts on June 20. Discussions have ramped up on how to manage star pacer Jasprit Bumrah's workload. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has made the position clear on Bumrah's involvement & workload management: Bumrah will not participate in every Test of the series, and Agarkar has stated it will be managed because the priority is keeping Bumrah fit for the duration of the tour. The approach to using Bumrah has been debated by various experts, including Australian great Brad Hogg, who has recently suggested something quite alarming.

Speaking to RevSportz this week, Hogg suggested Bumrah should be rested for the first Test, and the following Tests should be managed to be played in strategic positions based on what he considered the most important games for the series. "You've got to be very strategic with those three Test matches," Hogg said. "Where are you going to get the most benefit out of him?" Because he can turn the game, he can turn the series on its head. So you want to make sure that you play him at Lord's, definitely, and probably Warwickshire." He added that throwing England off guard by not playing Bumrah early could work in India’s favor.

"I probably wouldn't even play him in the first Test match, actually. I'd just go, 'Right, England, we don't have Bumrah.' And you could just see England thinking, 'Oh, they don't have Bumrah—that's good; we don't have to face him.' But then they're going to start worrying about him in the second Test match. And if he turns the tide in the second match, then all of a sudden England is playing catch-up. So I'd add a bit of byplay there," Hogg added.

Gill Begins New Chapter as Test Captain

Shubman Gill, who takes over as India’s 37th Test captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement, is gearing up for his first major challenge in the red-ball format. The upcoming England series will mark the start of India’s new World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle. With Rishabh Pant as his vice-captain, Gill will lead a relatively fresh-faced side into this crucial phase.

'Wouldn't play Jasprit Bumrah in first Test": Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir receive stunning advice#ShubmanGill #GautamGambhir #INDvsENG https://t.co/tsVb1gbblX

— CricketNDTV (@CricketNDTV) June 16, 2025

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Addressing the expectations around his leadership, Gill said that both head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have given him full freedom. "There are no expectations from them. They want me to express myself as a leader and not expect me to do something I can't," Gill stated, underlining the management’s supportive approach as he steps into this new role.