Dec 11, 2024 07:51 AM IST
Jasprit Bumrah is the “only bowler” that India have and if he breaks down, there is no chance of them winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, said Mohammad Kaif.
Concerns over Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness are on the rise. Ever since Bumrah went down clutching his inner thigh in the first over with the second new ball in Australia’s first innings in Adelaide, the frowns in the Indian camp have been quite visible. There are valid reasons behind it. In the absence of Mohammed Shami, Bumrah appeared to be the only Indian bowler to trouble the Australian batters in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Mohammed Siraj has had his moments but still has a long way to go before reaching Shami or Bumrah’s standards. Harshit Rana was clobbered in the day-night Test by Travis Head. This leaves India captain Rohit Sharma with few options. Bumrah is his trump card (perhaps the only one) and there are no two ways about it.
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes Rohit can’t give long spells to Bumrah as he is India’s “only bowler”. The former batter said if Bumrah breaks down, India will have no chance whatsoever in the five-Test series which is currently locked 1-1.
“No need to panic that much, it’s just 1-1. It’s alright we’ve lost one Test, there is no need to behave like all is lost. The plannings need to be better; tactical moves need to come into play. Rohit was not up to the mark as captain. And of course, Jasprit Bumrah. You can’t give long spells to Bumrah. He’s the only bowler. I have never seen a team that depends on only one player. Ashwin is not playing, Jadeja is not playing. If Bumrah gets injured, you forget about the series. That’s why Rohit is giving him short spells,” Kaif said in a video shared on his social media handles.
“Bumrah is being looked after. Rohit Sharma has been told to take care of him, so that he stays fit. He shouldn’t break down as he is the lone pacer,” he added.
Bumrah skips India’s practice session
Bumrah, who led India in Rohit’s absence in the first Test in Perth, produced a remarkable show with the ball, picking up eight wickets in the match. His spell with the new ball on Day 1 after India were bowled out for 150 was hailed as one of the best in modern-day cricket. It was mainly because of his stellar show that India won the Test by a record 295 runs to go 1-0 up.
In the second Test too, Bumrah appeared to be India’s only hope for breakthroughs. The workload and the pressure of striking every time he came on to bowl took a toll on Bumrah’s performance. His pace went down as the innings progressed and he was even seen having some issues with his inner thighs.
Although the Indian team management ruled out any possibility of a serious injury, they have adopted a cautious approach. Bumrah did not bowl in India’s practice session in Adelaide on Tuesday. Instead, he spent a lot of time with India’s strength and conditioning coaches to ensure he stays injury-free.
The third Test starts in Brisbane on Saturday, and India will need Bumrah to fire all cylinders.
Stay informed with the…
See more
