File image of Jasprit Bumrah.© AFP
While Team India stated that Jasprit Bumrah had suffered only a back spasm on Day 2 of the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting did not fully believe so. Speaking to Channel 7, Ponting opined that it looked like a real concern for Team India to see Bumrah have to go off and get checked. Senior Australian journalist Peter Lalor also wasn’t convinced that Bumrah had gone for just scans, instead suggesting that he had had to take injections.
As it turned out, Bumrah could not bowl a single ball in the second innings as India slumped to defeat on Day 3 of the fifth Test. It perhaps confirms that Ponting and Lalor were right in their suspicions.
“It seemed like a real worry for me,” Ponting had said on Channel Seven.
“They said back spasms when he got back (to the SCG). [But] he’s running up the stairs. He ran off the field. Those are not signs or symptoms of back spasms. I will keep my fingers crossed and hope it is. I would love to see him take further part in this game and not be out for an extended period of time again like he was with the stress fractures a couple of years ago,” Ponting had said on Day 2 of the Sydney Test.
On the other hand, Lalor debunked the ‘back spasms’ theory.
“They have scanning machines in the dressing rooms. He went for an injection. Probably Cortisone,” Lalor said.
At the end of Day 2, India pacer Prasidh Krishna had stated that Bumrah had gone for scans. Reports later in the day confirmed that Bumrah would be able to bat, but a call on his bowling would be taken on the morning of Day 3.
However, given Australia were handed a paltry target of 162, India needed Bumrah to be firing in with the new ball. However, that did not happen, suggesting his injury may have been more serious than first stated by Team India.
India would be hoping that Bumrah’s injury is not serious enough to put his participation in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in doubt.
Topics mentioned in this article
