Jasprit Bumrah 'Excited' For England Test Tour, Eyes Dukes-ball Challenge

India's pace spearhead and the No. 1-ranked Test bowler in the world, Jasprit Bumrah, is gearing up for another Test series in England with excitement and a realistic outlook on workload and longevity. Bumrah, who will be in action for Mumbai Indians in the Elimitay 1 against Gujarat Titans spoke on various things ahead of India's Tour Of England for five Test matches.

Speaking to former Australia captain Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 YouTube channel, Bumrah, aged 31, opened up about his love for bowling in English conditions, the challenge of managing his body across formats, and India’s approach to tackling England’s aggressive style.

India's Tour Of England Schedule:

India will begin their England tour with a warm-up game from June 13 to 16, before the first Test starts in Leeds on June 20. The five-match Test series will be played over 46 days, with matches scheduled in Leeds, Birmingham, Lord's, Manchester, and The Oval, ending on August 4.

This will be Bumrah’s third bilateral Test series in England, apart from the World Test Championship final he played there against New Zealand in 2021. In his eight previous away Tests in England, Bumrah has taken 37 wickets at an average of 23.78, underlining his success in these conditions. He will lead an Indian pace attack that includes Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh.

What Bumrah Said?

"Playing in England is always a different challenge. I always love bowling with the Dukes ball," Bumrah said. "But I don't know how much the Dukes ball is doing right now because there's always constant changes to the ball. But the weather, the swinging conditions… and then when the ball becomes soft, there's always a challenge. So I always look forward to playing in England."

"They’re playing an interesting style of cricket which is interesting because I don’t really understand it too much," Bumrah said about England's ultra-aggressive 'Bazball' approach. "But as a bowling unit, we always feel confident that when the batters are being ultra-aggressive, on a given day, anybody could run through and get wickets."

Jasprit Bumrah’s return from a back injury proved to be a turning point in Mumbai Indians' IPL 2025 campaign. Having missed the first four matches due to the injury—which had sidelined him since early 2025—Bumrah came back just when MI were struggling near the bottom of the table.

His presence immediately brought stability and control, especially in the death overs where MI had been leaking runs at an alarming rate of 11.04 per over in his absence.

With Bumrah leading the attack over the next 10 games, that number dropped significantly to 9.48, showcasing his unmatched expertise and composure under pressure. His ability to absorb the bowling workload and deliver tight overs at the death played a key role in MI’s mid-season revival.

Bumrah's Conundrum

Despite his enthusiasm, Bumrah is unlikely to feature in all five Tests. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has already hinted that his workload will be monitored closely, especially with a busy schedule ahead, including the T20 World Cup in February 2026.

Bumrah, who has had his share of injuries over the years, acknowledged the importance of smart scheduling.

"Obviously, it is tough for any individual to keep playing everything for so long. I've been doing it for a while, but eventually you have to understand where your body is going, what is the important tournament," he said.

"You have to be a little selective and smart about how you use your body. As a cricketer, I would never want to leave anything and always keep on going. But I don't set goals or look at numbers. Whenever I have [set goals], I've never been able to fulfil them."

Instead, the fast bowler is choosing to stay present and enjoy every opportunity he gets to play for India.

"I just try and enjoy because that’s why I started [playing] this sport. Take one day at a time and collect memories because, at the end of the [career in] sport, that’s all I’ll remember."