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Robin Uthappa stresses managing Jasprit Bumrah’s workload for India, highlights South Africa’s competitive but inconsistent T20I performance ahead of the must-win Ahmedabad match.
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah missed the third T20I against South Africa, on account of a family emergency (PTI)
Former cricketer Robin Uthappa emphasized the importance of managing India’s star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s workload on account of the “demanding motion” and “high pace” that place immense pressure on his body.
Bumrah was rested for the three-match ODI series against South Africa and returned for the five-match T20I series, playing an important role in India’s 101-run win in the primary T20I in Cuttack.
The 32-year-old Bumrah was also rested for the ODIs against Australia in October but participated within the T20I series.
Uthappa said on JioStar’s ‘Cricket Live,’ “He’s an absolute match-winner, and managing his workload is crucial. Fast bowling might be the hardest skill in the game, and Bumrah does it at high pace with a demanding motion.”
“You wish to protect that, but at the identical time, you wish him to play enough cricket. We’ve seen glimpses of his brilliance, and hopefully, he can construct consistency over the following few games heading into the World Cup,” added Uthappa, who retired from all types of cricket in 2022.
The fourth T20I was abandoned on Wednesday with out a ball being bowled on account of poor visibility attributable to dense smog. The ultimate match of the series in Ahmedabad on Friday is a must-win for South Africa to level the series.
Uthappa noted that while South Africa has been competitive, inconsistency has been their downfall within the white-ball games.
“South Africa have played very competitively, but they’ve been a bit cold and warm within the T20I series. That said, it has still been very entertaining. I believed they bowled rather well, while their batting has been a bit inconsistent.
“It’s going to be an interesting contest (in Ahmedabad) because they are going to wish to level the series. Overall, they’ve had an awesome tour. They dominated the Test series (2-0) and were competitive within the white-ball formats as well. India got here back strongly, but South Africa will wish to win the following one and head home with their heads held high,” said Uthappa.
Click here so as to add News18 as your chosen news source on Google. December 18, 2025, 15:25 IST
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