TOP STORIES
“Workload is a mental thing, not a physical thing”: Sunil Gavaskar

Indefatigable Mohammed Siraj inspired India to a six-run victory in the fifth and final Test against England, helping the visitors draw the series 2-2. Fired-up Siraj intensified his attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the fifth Test due to workload management. Siraj took three key wickets on the final day to guide India to one of the most memorable victories in recent times. Resuming on Monday on 339/6, England had needed 35 runs to win the game, but Siraj’s timely interventions destroyed all hopes for England. Buoyed by Siraj’s agility, former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, speaking on India’s victory, slammed the “workload management” talk.
"Mohammed Siraj debunked forever this business of workload. I hope that the workload word gets taken out of Indian cricket dictionary. For 5 Test matches, non-stop he has bowled 7-8 over spells, because the captain wanted him and the country expected of him," Gavaskar told India Today.
"And that is one thing I think people keep in mind that workload is a mental thing, not a physical thing and if you are going to succumb to people who are talking about workload then you are never going to have your best players on the field for your country," he added.
Pace spearhead Bumrah played only three games in the series due to workload management. Moreover, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, ahead of the series, had already made it clear that Bumrah will only feature in three of the five games.
“When you are playing for your country, forget the aches and the pains. On the border, do you think that the jawans are complaining about cold? What did Rishabh Pant show you? He came out to bat with a fracture. That is what you expect from the players. Playing cricket in India is an honour. Playing cricket in India is an honour. You are representing 140 crore people and that is what we saw in Mohammed Siraj," Gavaskar said.
Tags
More News

ZIM vs SL, 1st ODI: All you need to know, head to head, playing XI
Zimbabwe are set to host Sri Lanka in the first ODI match of the two-match series on Friday at Harare Sports Club, Harare. This series forms part of a broader white-ball tour, preceding a three-match T20I series, and is a key opportunity for Sri Lanka ahead of the major Asia Cup 2025. Charith Asalanka will lead Sri Lanka, while star all-ro...

Asia Cup 2025: Sehwag picks Bumrah, Abhishek and Chakravarthy to be crucial for India
Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has picked three Indian players, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah, to be the game-changers for India at the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE. India, who are the defending champions, are gearing up to participate in the tournament under the leadership of Suryakumar Y...

UAE T20I tri-series, AFG vs PAK: Asia Cup in focus as Afghanistan meet Pakistan
Ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, Afghanistan and Pakistan are set to ignite their preparations with a massive clash in the opening match of the T20I tri-nation series on Friday at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah. The series, hosted by the UAE, presents a timely platform for the teams to fine-tune their skills and combinati...

Afghanistan lock in squad for UAE T20I tri-series
Afghanistan have finalised their squad for the UAE T20I tri-series, scheduled to begin on August 29 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah. Rashid Khan will lead a full-strength squad boasting the likes of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib.
They have largely named the same squad for both tournaments (Tri...

Sri Lanka name squad for T20I assignment against Zimbabwe; key all-rounder left out
Sri Lanka have left out key all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga from their squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. The latest development puts Hasaranga's participation in the upcoming Asia Cup in jeopardy. Hasaranga has been battling an injury which he picked up during the T20I series against Bangladesh in J...