Jasprit Bumrah. | (Image Credits: X)
Team India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could miss majority of the white-ball series against England, beginning with the T20I leg on January 22. With the Champions Trophy also looming, the selectors are likely to preserve the right-arm speedster for the eight-team tournament, allowing him enough time to recover from the back injury, given his presence will be vital.
The 31-year-old didn’t bowl in the fourth innings of the Sydney Test against Australia as back spasm prevented him from bowling any further in the game. With Bumrah compiling 32 wickets in five Tests, his absence made Australia’s job a lot more comfortable as they chased down a tricky 162-run target with six wickets to spare.
Having sent down precisely 151.2 overs in the five-Test series Down Under, the sources reported by the PTI are yet to ascertain the magnitude of Bumrah’s injury. In case of Grade 1 injury, it will be 2-3 weeks before he returns to bowl. If it’s a Grade 2 injury, the recovery time will go up to six weeks, while Grade 3, most severe in nature, requires three months of rest and rehabilitation programmes.
“I probably missed out on the spiciest wicket of the series” – Jasprit Bumrah
At the post-match presentation, the Ahmedabad-born cricketer underlined the need to respect his body and not push himself to the brink. However, he rued not bowling in one of the most liveliest pitches on the series.
“It’s a little frustrating, but sometimes you’ve got to respect your body, you can’t fight your body. It’s a little disappointing in the end because I probably missed out on the spiciest wicket of the series, but that’s the way it is. Sometimes, you have to accept it and move forward.”
