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Jasprit Bumrah 'may have never bowled again' had he played 'that match'; India pacer doesn't care about others' opinions
Mohammed Siraj has urged impatient fans to believe in Jasprit Bumrah and let the pacer decide what's best for him.
Ever since the term 'workload management' has gained precedent, Jasprit Bumrah hasn't been able to catch a break. He is at the centre of all debates, irrespective of whether he plays or rests. Even now, when Bumrah played the first Test against the West Indies, eyebrows were raised, and to be honest, rightly so. If there's any Test or opponent where India could have rested Bumrah, it would have been during a home series against the West Indies. But surprisingly, Bumrah got left out of the ODI series against Australia. It could well stem from the fact that T20I cricket is a priority for India, considering there's a T20 World Cup title to defend at home next year. Still, to make Bumrah play home Tests and not three ODIs against Australia has divided opinions.
Something similar happened a couple of months ago in England, where Bumrah played three out of the five Tests, skipping the second game at Edgbaston and the fifth and final Test at The Oval. However, as it turns out, the only two Tests India won were the ones in which Bumrah did not play. Bumrah had once again copped flak for missing the series decider, but Mohammed Siraj defended the India pacer, saying his beloved 'Jassi bhai' knows best what he's doing.
"Bumrah bhai doesn't worry about outside opinion. He had a serious back injury and a big surgery. Had he bowled in that match, one can’t say whether he would have bowled again or not, if he had broken down. It’s that serious. That injury is very sensitive. His bowling action is very difficult. He is such an important bowler for India and his availability is so important – from Asia Cup to next year’s World Cup and so on," Siraj said at The Idea Exchange by The Indian Express.
"Indian fans should understand that he is the backbone of the team and be rest assured that whenever possible, he will definitely play. Jassi bhai took the perfect decision."
What motivated Siraj in Bumrah's absence
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy could well turn out to be the most defining Test series of Siraj's career. After picking 20 wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he was next only to Bumrah. So when India's pacer was told not to play more than three Tests, Siraj's role became all the more important as India's premier pacer. At Birmingham, Siraj claimed a six-wicket haul and landed a final blow with a second five-for in the series, where India clinched a narrow 7-run win in London.
"When I landed in England, my aim was to become the highest wicket-taker there. That was my zone. During the whole series, I was mentally strong – I wanted to be 100 per cent fit, 100 per cent available, and play all five matches. My rhythm was also very good when I played the practice matches. When I found out that Jassi bhai was not going to play all the matches, since I was the second senior fast bowler in the team, I wanted to give my 100 per cent," added Siraj.
