Jasprit Bumrah sidelined again: Decoding his tryst with injuries
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the ongoing four-match Test series against Australia. The pacer won't participate in the ODI leg as well, which gets underway on March 17. As per Cricbuzz, Bumrah didn't receive clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, where he is under rehabilitation. Here we look at the timeline of the pacer's injury.
Why does this story matter?
India's ongoing series versus Australia is the last assignment of both teams in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle. The hosts need at least a 3-0 win to qualify for the final. Bumrah has been out of action since September last year due to his persistent back issues. He is now expected to return directly to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
Here are the latest developments
According to Cricbuzz, the Indian team management doesn't want to risk Bumrah's fitness with the WTC final and ODI World Cup taking place later this year. Owing to the same, the Indian team is planning to monitor his fitness during this year's IPL, which gets underway on March 31. Hence, five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) might miss his services for a few games.
Timeline of Bumrah's injuries
Bumrah sustained a back injury ahead of the Asia Cup in August-September last year. The same made him miss the continental tournament. He returned to the team for the subsequent T20I series against Australia. After missing the opener, he played the last two T20Is but looked far from his best. His back pain reportedly got extravagated during the series.
Missed the T20 World Cup
After the Australia series, India hosted South Africa in three T20Is and Bumrah was named in the initial squad. While the pacer warmed the benches in the opener, he was officially ruled out of the series ahead of the second T20I. Subsequently, he was ruled out of the high-voltage ICC T20 World Cup 2022, where India got knocked out in the semi-final.
Missed New Zealand and Bangladesh tour
After the T20 WC, India toured New Zealand for three T20Is and as many ODIs. The side then went to Bangladesh for three ODIs and two Tests. Bumrah missed both tours. Hence, the third T20I versus Australia on September 25 remains his last international appearance.
Bumrah's controversial addition and exclusion from the squad
Notably, Bumrah was included in India's squad for the three-match Sri Lanka ODI series last month. He wasn't named in the initial squad and was a late addition to the team. However, his name was later withdrawn as the BCCI didn't want to rush his comeback. The speedster also missed the home white-ball series versus New Zealand last month.
A look at his stats
Bumrah, who made his international debut in January 2016, has so far scalped 128 wickets in 30 Tests at 21.99 (5W: 8). He has been nothing but sensational in ODIs too. The pacer currently owns 121 wickets in 72 games, with his economy rate being 4.64 (5W: 2). In T20Is, he has claimed 70 wickets in 60 matches at an economy rate of 6.62.
Bumrah's tryst with injuries
This is not the first instance of Bumrah reeling from an injury. Bumrah suffered a stress fracture on his back in 2019. The injury occurred right after India toured West Indies. Notably, Bumrah had claimed 13 wickets in the two fixtures. Following the injury, Bumrah endured a lengthy spell on the sidelines, missing home series against South Africa and Bangladesh, respectively.
