The first Test of the highly anticipated five-match series between England and India is underway at the Headingley Stadium in Leeds, and once again, Jasprit Bumrah has reminded the cricketing world why he sits atop the Test bowling rankings.
Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliance lights up Headingley as India takes charge
On a surface that offered modest assistance, the 31-year-old fast-bowling maestro unleashed a spell of sustained excellence, claiming 5 wickets for 83 runs. With this effort, Bumrah not only dented England’s strong batting order but also put India in a commanding position in the match. His precision, relentless aggression, and ability to extract movement on a placid pitch left even the most seasoned England batters groping for answers. This five-wicket haul added another feather to Bumrah’s already glittering cap and marked yet another chapter in his rise as India’s premier match-winner with the ball.
However, the ecstasy over Bumrah’s brilliance has been slightly tinged with concern following his pre-series revelation. In an interview prior to the first Test, Bumrah shared that he is planning to play only three out of the five matches in the current away series against England. The decision, he emphasized, stems from a carefully managed workload strategy considering his history of stress fractures and long injury layoffs. Bumrah remarked candidly. Though this prudent self-assessment is understandable, the thought of Bumrah missing two critical Tests has left fans and former cricketers equally anxious, especially after witnessing his dominance in the Headingley opener.
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Sunil Gavaskar and Cheteshwar Pujara’s heartfelt request to Bumrah’s wife Sanjana Ganesan
During the live broadcast of the match on Sony Sports Network, two stalwarts of Indian cricket, Sunil Gavaskar and Cheteshwar Pujara, addressed this issue in an amusing yet heartfelt moment. They made a direct appeal, not to Bumrah, but to someone they believed might wield more influence: his wife and cricket presenter Sanjana Ganesan.
“I have a request for you (Sanjana). You will have to convince Jasprit to play a few more games. Just try. You are the one who can convince; we leave it to you,” Pujara said on Sony Sports Network.
Gavaskar took it a step further, breaking down the entire series schedule in an impassioned plea.
“There is a gap. See, there is an eight-day gap, so the next Test is not a problem, and then after that it is Lord’s; you can’t miss Lord’s. After that, again, there is an eight-day gap. Then comes Manchester. In Manchester, the ball will do all kinds of things; whether it is April, May, June, July, August, September, October, or November, the ball will swing in Manchester. So in Manchester, he has to play. Then at The Oval, it is just five days, so all five Test matches. I hope he is watching this. Basically, Jasprit, we need you. Please play all five Tests,” Gavaskar made an appeal as well.
Here’s the video:
The People vs. Bumrah’s workload management 👨⚖️
This bench rules: Bumrah MUST play all 5 Tests ✅ 😅#SonySportsNetwork #GroundTumharaJeetHamari #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia | @cheteshwar1 @SanjanaGanesan @Jaspritbumrah93 pic.twitter.com/22f2LichMZ
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) June 23, 2025
The moment took an even more delightful turn when Sanjana, ever the sport, relayed the request to her husband. In a video clip shared widely across social media, she playfully passed on Gavaskar and Pujara’s plea. Bumrah, listening intently, smiled and gave a cryptic but charming reply: “That is a conversation we’ll have on another day. Thank you,”. While he didn’t commit to anything definitive, his light-hearted response left room for hope.
Here’s the video:
Jasprit Bumrah keeping the batters and us guessing 😫#SonySportsNetwork #GroundTumharaJeetHamari #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia | @Jaspritbumrah93 @SanjanaGanesan pic.twitter.com/lIKggth6qg
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) June 23, 2025
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