 "Will Jasprit Bumrah be fit to bat and bowl in remainder of Sydney Test against Australia? Here's what you need to know")
The Indian cricket team and their army of fans – both in Sydney and around the world – were in for a major scare on Day 2 of the fifth Test against Australia with senior pacer and captain Jasprit Bumrah having to leave the field for scans after bowling 10 overs on Saturday. Bumrah, who took over as captain after Rohit Sharma “stood down” from the XI for the series finale at the Sydney Cricket Ground, was later confirmed to have suffered a back spasm and did not take any further part in the day’s play after returning from a hospital visit.
Former India skipper Virat Kohli, the country’s most successful Test leader of all time, wore the captain’s armband in Bumrah’s absence — returning to the role he had stepped down from in early 2022 after an infamous spat with then-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.
With Kohli in charge, India not only managed to break the 41-run partnership for the sixth wicket between debutant Beau Webster and keeper-batter Alex Carey, they also ensured the Australian tail did not wag in Sydney after frustrating them in Melbourne by, collecting a slender four-run lead by bundling the hosts out for 181.
Later in the day, Rishabh Pant’s explosive 61 off 33 balls ensured India ended the day with 141 runs on the board and four wickets in hand despite suffering a collapse late in the day. However, the big question remains – will Bumrah walk out to bat on Day 3 and ensure India score as many runs in their second essay as possible?
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMore importantly – will he be fit enough to defend the target set by his team against the Aussies with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as well as the ICC World Test Championship on the line?
Will Jasprit Bumrah be fit enough to bat and bowl in the remainder of the fifth Test?
According to a report on The Times of India, Bumrah has been given the green signal to pad up and walk out to bat, though given his fitness concerns, he might be the last one to walk out. Ever run will be crucial for the visitors in their quest to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and maintain their decade-long unbeaten run in Test series’ against Australia.
However, a final call on whether the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing series will be able to bowl or not will be taken later in the match, likely before the start of the Aussie chase.
“Bumrah was taken for a precautionary scan after a back spasm, but nothing serious at the moment. He should be okay to bat, but a final call on bowling will be taken on basis of how he feels in the morning," a source told TOI.
Australia currently lead the five-match series 2-1, recovering from a 295-run thrashing in Perth with a 10-wicket victory in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide before moving into the lead for the first time with a 184-run win in the ‘Boxing Day’ Test in Melbourne.
The Aussies had also collected a big lead in the third Test at The Gabba in Brisbane, only for the match to end in a draw due to incessant rain and India’s late fightback to avoid the follow-on.
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