 "Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of Champions Trophy: Wrap India’s biggest cricketing asset in cotton-wool if necessary")
There’s no point in pretending that Jasprit Bumrah being ruled out of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy is not a setback for Team India. But then maybe it’s not a big surprise, considering just how much of the national team’s hopes and aspirations he carries on his shoulders. The fact that he had to walk out of the Sydney Test in the last edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and couldn’t bowl at all in Australia’s second innings was indication of just how impossible it was for him to take the field.
Being the team-man that Bumrah is, if there was even a 1 per cent chance of him bowling, he would have been there on the field, ready to attack with ball in hand. The selectors had kept the door open for a possible return for him in the third and final ODI vs England, after naming him in the Champions Trophy provisional squad. But clearly, no one is 100 per cent sure that he can play.
According to reports, scans on his troublesome back done at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru haven’t shown anything extremely untoward, but this is where the powers that be have to be extra careful about how quickly he returns to competitive cricket. Bumrah is an absolute asset and potentially India’s next Test captain, after Rohit Sharma. He needs to be wrapped in cotton wool, if needed, to protect him.
But the bigger concern here is that there is potentially something that is yet to be dealt with, as far as his back is concerned. After all, why is he experiencing spasms so serious that he is having to undergo monitoring and rehabilitation? Why these flare-ups, despite a successful surgery in March 2023. Are these ‘spasms’ unrelated to the earlier injury and if so, is that a bigger concern?
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Interestingly, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting had floated the idea that Bumrah’s condition could be more serious. When the fast bowler walked off the field in Sydney on Day 2 of the Test match and reports emerged that he had been taken to a hospital by ambulance for scans, the official word was that he was suffering from back spasms. But talking to Channel 7, Ponting questioned how that could be the case, saying – “he’s running up the stairs. He ran off the field. That’s not signs or symptoms of back spasms.”
The theory that it could be something more serious was further fuelled by senior Australian journalist and author, Peter Lalor, who told Channel 7 – “My mail is he didn’t go for a scan…they have scanning machines in the dressing rooms. He (Bumrah) went for an injection. Probably Cortisone.”
Now, cortisone is a steroid, also known as corticosteroid and essentially does what cortisol, a hormone that is naturally produced by the human body does, which is to manage stress and reduce inflammation. While it is most often injected for joint pains, for the back it could be given for pain that is caused by nerve inflammation. Bumrah also walked out to collect the Man of the Series award and gave a post-match interview.
So, what exactly is the nature of Bumrah’s back condition?
If you remember, there was a shroud of secrecy over his last lengthy medical timeout as well. Hardly any significant details were divulged about the injury, the surgery or even the recuperation. But one thing that everyone knows is that he is one of India’s most prized cricketing possessions and an all-format player. Bumrah made his ODI and T20I debuts on India’s tour of Australia in January 2016. At this time, he was seen as a white-ball specialist, thanks largely to his exploits for the Mumbai Indians, in the IPL. Almost exactly two years later, in January 2018, he made the cut for the Indian Test team on their tour of South Africa, making his debut in the Cape Town Test.
Co-incidentally, his injury troubles began once he started playing all-formats and his overall workload increased. From a thumb fracture, to a lower back stress fracture, to an abdominal strain and then the injury that required surgery just about two years ago.
In the last edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah sent down as many as 908 deliveries (151.2 overs). It’s true that Mohammed Siraj bowled more overs (157.1) than Bumrah (also because Bumrah managed to bowl just 10 overs in the Australian first innings and none at all in the second), but every physique is different and handles workload differently. On the fourth day of the Melbourne Test in the last BGT, Bumrah bowled as many as nine spells.
Much has been written about how India’s Test vice-captain was hands-down the most impactful player in that series, for which he was also awarded the Man of the Series award (only the second Indian cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar in 1999-2000 to win this award in the BGT despite being on the losing side), about how he took 32 wickets, while all the other bowlers combined took 48 and how he was the one player the Aussies were most wary of. But not a lot has been written or spoken about what needs to be done if his workload is not being managed properly.
The two most honest questions that needs to be asked right now therefore is – just how well is Bumrah’s workload being managed vis-à-vis his back condition? And should the team management and selectors, in consultation with Bumrah himself, look at him possibly giving up one format? The BCCI medical team at the NCA in particular liaises with the selectors and team management and regular updates are given about a player’s physical condition, rehabilitation and overall fitness.
According to reports, though Bumrah has apparently completed his rehabilitation, the NCA medical team wasn’t sure if he had regained match fitness. Also there are no more matches left for this to be tested. Which is why, it wasn’t a surprise that the selection committee thought it best to not risk any further injuries at this time. Rushing him back without knowing exactly how his body is going to react is the worst decision that could have been taken. Kudos to Ajit Agarkar and his team for saying – ‘we won’t risk it’.
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Bumrah’s action is extremely unorthodox and when he began his career there were concerns raised about injuries that could hurt his career prematurely. There has been no official confirmation that his injuries are because of his unique action and in any case it’s far too late for him to make any big changes to his action.
That leaves the workload. Experts have opined that bone stress fractures in particular happen when the workload is high. Remember, it’s not just international cricket, but also IPL cricket that needs to be taken into account. The last thing a franchise wants is a star player not playing. And it goes without saying that Bumrah is a star player in the IPL. After all this was the platform where he was first noticed. Maybe it’s time for franchises also to have a similar kind of mindset as the national selectors and ask players who shoulder a large burden of national duties to take it easy, whenever possible.
With Bumrah out, ODI door opens wider for Harshit Rana
In theatre, an understudy is in many ways the most unenviable post in any production. They have to put in the hard yards and be completely ready for each and every performance, and yet they only get to go on stage if the actor they are shadowing is not available for any reason. Cricket follows an almost similar script. There are junior players who are very talented, but they get a chance only when a senior has to sit out.
We have a somewhat similar situation for the ICC Champions Trophy this time, in the Indian team. Harshit Rana, who made his ODI debut in the home series vs England and grabbed this opportunity with both hands, staying amongst the wickets, will be Bumrah’s replacement in the squad. Though some experts feel that Rana is not a like-for-like replacement, it gives the 23-year-old from Delhi a golden chance to impress the selectors and try and pick up long-term ODI credentials.
It’s not a secret that head coach Gautam Gambhir likes what he sees in Rana, who he worked with when he was the Kolkata Knight Riders’ mentor. Rana also got the nod from Gambhir for a Test debut, which surprised many, in the last edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. His first match was the Perth Test , which India won. The Man of the Match in that game was a certain Jasprit Bumrah.
Now, Rana, though not quite Bumrah’s understudy, has the chance to make a name for himself in a tournament dubbed the ‘mini-World Cup’ and one that will be without India’s best fast bowler.
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