Jasprit Bumrah gets ready for New Zealand Tests with India A match in Lincoln

Jasprit Bumrah is back in red-ball cricket as India A takes on New Zealand A in the third and final four-day match at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln on Saturday. This game gives the 32-year-old fast bowler a chance to test his fitness before India starts a two-Test series against New Zealand in Wellington on November 19. Bumrah has not played a Test or first-class match since the home series against South Africa in November 2025. He missed the tour of Sri Lanka in August because he did not recover in time from a knee injury. Selectors kept him out of the white-ball series to keep him fresh for the longer format as India tries to improve its position in the World Test Championship standings. During this match, observers will watch how many overs he bowls, how long his spells are, and how his body handles the workload. India's team management will be careful with him to make sure he is ready for the main series rather than pushing him too hard in a warm-up game. He will also play alongside fellow red-ball bowlers Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, and Prasidh Krishna, who is fit to join the squad. Bumrah previously played two Tests in New Zealand, taking six wickets at an average of 31.66 with best figures of three for 62. After the Lincoln fixture, India plays the first Test in Wellington and the second Test in Christchurch starting on November 27.

Context

Fast bowlers often need to play domestic or A-team matches to regain their rhythm and match fitness after long injuries. Managing the workload of top fast bowlers is a common practice in modern cricket to prevent fresh injuries during important international series.