Gill on Bumrah
India Test captain Shubman Gill remained non-committal about pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s workload ahead of the two-match Test series against the West Indies, emphasizing that the pacer’s participation will be decided on a game-to-game basis.
“The call on Bumrah will be match to match, depending on how much he has bowled in a Test and how the bowlers feel. Nothing is decided yet,” Gill said at a pre-match press conference.
Bumrah, who played the majority of India’s Asia Cup 2025 fixtures, had a heavy workload leading to questions over a direct switch from T20I cricket to the Test arena. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate noted that the Asia Cup served as good preparation, allowing Bumrah to bowl a manageable number of overs ahead of the Test series.
“It’s actually quite good preparation in terms of workload management. He’s probably going to bowl a few overs in all the games, in the region of 25-26 overs, which is a fairly good number the week before a Test,” Ten Doeschate explained.
Extra Seamer Considered in Ahmedabad
Citing overcast conditions at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Gill hinted that India may include an extra seamer for the first Test starting Thursday.
“You will get to know the XI tomorrow. Conditions and weather are tempting to play an extra seamer. We will take a call tomorrow after seeing the moisture in the pitch,” he said.
He acknowledged the challenge for players switching formats after India’s Asia Cup victory, noting that adapting mentally is more demanding than making technical adjustments.
“It was a quick turnaround for this Test. Switching formats is more mental than technical,” Gill added.
Gill on Personal Workload and Series Approach
The 26-year-old captain emphasized taking his schedule week by week rather than looking too far ahead. For batters, he said, the key challenge is mental fatigue rather than physical strain.
“Right now, I feel fresh. On playing so much cricket, I will take it week by week. I am not looking too far ahead. For batters, it is more mental fatigue than physical—unlike bowlers,” Gill said.
Gill also issued a warning to the West Indies, signaling India’s intent to play aggressive, high-pressure cricket at home.
“No easy options… we want to play tough cricket. Every Test in England went deep. We are playing in India after a year; any series is important. We will be looking to dominate the series,” he said.
Preparing for Indian Conditions
Highlighting India’s unique challenges, Gill noted that spin and reverse swing will play a critical role in determining match outcomes. “Any team that comes to India knows the challenge here is spin and reverse swing. We want wickets that give something for both batters and bowlers,” he said