Gambhir said it has not been decided which other two Tests Bumrah, the number one bowler in the world rankings and a key player across formats, will play during the series.
There are seven days before the second Test begins on 2 July in Edgbaston but only three days off between the scheduled conclusion of that match and the start of the third Test at Lord’s.
There is another eight-day break between the third and fourth matches but again only three before the series finale at The Oval.
“Let’s see how his body turns up,” added Gambhir. “We haven’t decided which two other matches he is going play.”
Playing his first red-ball match since he was unable to bowl in the second innings of the fifth Test against Australia in January because of his back, Bumrah did not take a wicket in his 19 overs as England completed a pursuit of 371 on day five but still looked a class above his team-mates.
Mohammed Siraj, India’s second most senior seamer, took 2-173 across both innings, Prasidh Krishna’s five wickets cost 6.3 runs per over and Shardul Thakur, who was picked to add batting depth at number eight but was out for one and four, returned figures of 2-89 in 16 overs.
Gambhir defended his pace bowlers, however, and pointed to Krishna’s dismissals of Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope and Thakur’s wickets – Ben Duckett caught at cover and Harry Brook strangled down the leg side.
“Prasidh bowled really well and got us crucial wickets,” said Gambhir. “We picked him because we thought he had something different, he had that bounce and in the first innings he used that bounce really well.
“Shardul was used a little less. We thought Ravindra Jadeja would bring us control.
“I am not going to sit here and say they didn’t bowl well.
“Shardul got us two wickets that got us back in the game. We have just got to be more consistent. That is what is more important. These boys will learn.”
