Champions trophy: The absence of Jaspreet Bumrah can weaken the Indian team in the Champions Trophy. Ravi Shastri believes this. However, he advised not to hurry in this main fast bowler’s return to the national team.
Bumrah’s back muscles were stretched in the 5th Test against Australia in Sydney in January and he did not bowl in the second innings. He has not bowled for India since then, although he has been included in the initial team for the prestigious ODI tournament Champions Trophy.
Bumrah is currently going through the process of rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and is not in the ODI team for the three -match series against England from Thursday.
Sports Sciences experts are expected to update their fitness to the Board of Cricket in India (BCCI), after which a decision will be taken on the Champions Trophy which will be held in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Its first match is to be held in Karachi on 19 February, while India will play all its matches in Dubai. Shastri said in the International Cricket Council (ICC) ‘Review’, ‘Bumrah’s not fit will reduce India’s (Champions Trophy) probability 30 percent, not 30 to 35 percent.’
Good bowling guarantee in ‘death overs”
Shastri said, ‘You have a guarantee of good bowling in’ Death Over ‘by playing fully fit Bumrah.’
Bumrah, who performed brilliantly last year, was elected the ICC’s best male cricketer with Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC’s Best Men Test Cricketer. He played an important role in winning India 2024 T20 World Cup.
In Australia, in the 5-match Border-Gavaskar series, both were the highest 32 wicket bowlers in the team.
… Returning to return in haste?
Shastri warned against the return of this veteran in a hurry. He said, ‘I think it is very risky to make him back in haste. India has to play a lot of cricket ahead. And at this stage of my career, I think he is very important and he should not suddenly be called for a match.
He said, ‘Expectations will be very high. They will feel that he will make a splash as soon as he comes. It is never so easy when you return from injury.
Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting said that the absence of Bumrah may lead to meditation on Shami who has returned to the Indian team after 14 months after injury and rehabilitation.
Is this the reason for Bumrah’s injury?
They also feel that the stretch of Bumrah’s back muscles in Australia may have happened because he did not get Shami’s support at the other end.
Ponting said in the ‘ICC Review’, ‘My biggest concern in the Test series was that Bumrah did not have Shami as a backup and had to take most of the bowling responsibility.’
He said, ‘And perhaps this happened and perhaps it would have to do something that (Bumrah) was injured. Because of Shami’s absence, he probably had to bowl a little more in that series. So if Shami is fit then it is a good thing.