After more than three months, Jasprit Bumrah played his competitive match at the Wankhede Stadium. The fast bowler had suffered a lower back injury in Sydney on January 4, in what was the last match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Bumrah went on to miss a white-ball series against England, the entire Champions Trophy 2025 and four Indian Premier League (IPL) matches for Mumbai Indians (MI). But things could have been much worse. There might have been a chance that Bumrah would miss the India vs England series, the Asia Cup 2025 and even the T20 World Cup 2026.
Not playing in Sydney might have saved Jasprit Bumrah’s career
And the only reason he’s back playing after three months is he himself. You see, the Sydney Test was over in three days. And Bumrah had injured himself on day two. Before thinking about taking the field on the third day and trying to level the series at 2-2, Bumrah had called and consulted his doctor.
The pacer didn’t want to suffer another back stress fracture. An injury that had haunted him twice already, in 2019 and 2022. The second time he injured his back, he missed the T20 World Cup 2022. But a third time could have been a career ender. And Bumrah knew that.
Reputed cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle has revealed a chat he had with Bumrah in Sydney on the morning of the third day of the Sydney Test. The pacer bowler had told Bhogle that he would have come out to bowl, but the fear of suffering another back stress fracture had made him think otherwise.
In the end, Bumrah took the right decision. The unorthodox pacer is at the peak of his powers right now. He’d want to make the most of it right now. He’s already missed out on winning an ICC trophy via the Champions Trophy. Luckily, he thought about his career as a whole instead of letting his emotions take hold of him for instant glory, and the whole of India is thankful for that.
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