After England’s close 22-run win over India in the third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Lord’s, veteran Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan praised Ben Stokes‘ outstanding fitness and devotion. Despite enduring many surgeries in the previous year, England’s captain bowled for extended periods of time throughout the game.

Pathan cited Stokes as an example of great physical and mental resilience, quietly starting debate over player workload in modern cricket. His comments appeared to allude to India’s desire to limit Jasprit Bumrah’s Test appearances to only three as part of their workload strategy.

“On Day 5, Ben Stokes bowled a lengthy 9.2 over session in the morning. He is a great player. He bowls, bats, and executes a critical Rishabh Pant run out, yet there is no mention of workload management.

But this is not the case in India,” Irfan Pathan stated on his YouTube channel.

“Bumrah bowls five overs and waits for Joe Root to bat when you need to control the game (in the second innings).” It turned out to be unsatisfactory. Despite not playing at Edgbaston, his workload remained manageable. There is no work involved when playing a match. You have to win at whatever cost. “The Indian camp could have done better,” he said.

Since India’s Test squad for the England tour was named in May, one of the most talked-about topics has been how many matches Bumrah will be available for during the five-match series. The ace bowler was rested for the Edgbaston Test after playing in the series opener at Headingley, as per the team’s workload management approach.

In contrast, England’s skipper gave a relentless performance at Lord’s, bowling long stints in challenging conditions. His hit-the-deck approach, especially in the heat, made his effort even more admirable. Pathan also praised Jofra Archer’s performance, pointing out that the England pacer maintained his pace for nearly 40 overs, including long second-innings periods at Lord’s.

He argued that there may be lessons to be learnt from how Archer managed his spells during important stages of the game, providing a viable model for India to follow when managing their own fast-bowling resources.

“Archer was playing his first Test match in four years, but he refused to give up. He bowled six overs in the morning before returning to bowl again. Ben Stokes did not consider the workload at all; if he can bowl nine overs, Indian pacers will be left behind,” Irfan added.