Bumrah’s return to play should be gradual, according to advice from Rohit Sharma.
- India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, has cautioned against rushing Jasprit Bumrah back into action too soon after his back injury. While Rohit was optimistic that the pace spearhead would be healthy enough to play in the final two Tests in the four-game Border-Gavaskar Trophy in March, he was equally concerned that the injury might prevent him from doing so.
- The 29-year-old Bumrah had been expected to make his return from an extended injury layoff this month when he was nominated to India’s ODI team for the Sri Lanka series. However, a precautionary withdrawal at the last minute pushed back his return. He was unable to participate in the 2022 Asia Cup and the subsequent T20 World Cup in Australia because of back issues. Indian management has been extra cautious with Bumrah’s health because of the upcoming ODI World Cup in their own country.
- After India swept the one-day international series against New Zealand, Rohit remarked on Tuesday (January 24) that he wasn’t sure if Bumrah will be available for the first two Test matches.
- “I anticipate it; I don’t think it’s likely, but I’m hopeful he’ll play in the next two Tests. However, we don’t want to take any chances with him. All back injuries are life-threatening. After that, there is a tonne of cricket, which we will watch closely. Our lines of communication with the medical staff at NCA are always open, and we hear from the physiotherapists and doctors there frequently.”
- Since last September, when he suffered a stress reaction in his back in preparation for the Asia Cup, Bumrah has been sidelined. He started training again in late November after taking a six-week break, and he started bowling again in the middle of December while receiving rehabilitation at the NCA in Bengaluru.
- BCCI stated that the bowler “would need some more time to build bowling resilience,” therefore they removed him from the squad “as a precautionary measure” on the eve of the Sri Lanka ODI series. Due to this, Bumrah was not considered for the T20I phase of New Zealand’s white-ball tour of India, which will begin on Friday in Ranchi.
