- True connoisseurs, experts, ex-players, and fans of cricket around the world would be wondering how supremely gifted performer Jasprit Bumrah is while showcasing his admirable skills across the formats in the last few years. Bumrah’s unique delivery stride, without taking recourse to a usually long run-up for a pace bowler, is an amazing sight for fans closely associated with the game’s nitty-gritties. The amount of pace generated by his short run-up often troubles the established batters. And if the pitch and overhead conditions are conducive for seam bowling, Bumrah will become even more lethal, delivering devastating punches on the unsuspecting opponent batters. Not for nothing, Jasprit Bumrah is considered the premier pace bowler in the world. Period.
PC: TV9 Bharatvarsh
- The impact of Bumrah on the team and the opposition needs no elaboration since the X factor that the player carries along is unique. However, we are also aware of the number of injuries suffered by the bowler in the last few years. Some of them are serious enough to rule him out for months, including the back surgery he underwent last year. Remember, he has been handed the responsibilities of skippering the team a few times, as well as being appointed vice-captain in Tests. Unfortunately, recurring injuries meant Bumrah could not be considered as a long-term captain option in the longest format of the game. Cricket fans would recollect how a grueling five-match Test series Down Under resulted in him undergoing surgery for a troublesome back.
PC: India Today
- When the team for England was picked, Bumrah was meant to play in three of the five Tests as part of the workload management devised by the medical team and concurred by the selectors/BCCI mandarins. The moot point to ponder over here is whether the policy of allowing Jasprit Bumrah to play as per his convenience, completely relegating the team’s prospects in a marquee event like a five-match Test series, is open to debate and questions. The selectors should be looking into only one aspect here. Whether a player selected will be available for selection right through the series. If not, there’s no way a player should be selected that will not only hamper the team’s prospects but also affect the combination greatly. No one is indispensable, you see.
PC: NewsBytes
- Bumrah playing in the eleven provides a great attacking option for the team. Nonetheless, picking and choosing which Test to play is neither beneficial to the team in the immediate now, nor does it help the cause of furthering the interests, keeping the future in mind. Thus, the onus is on the Head Coach and the selectors to ensure Bumrah is spoken about, placing the team’s interests above everything else. If he is not fit enough to go the whole distance, Bumrah should not be considered for selection at all. Mind you, Team India won two Tests in England when Bumrah was unavailable. Preserving a player of Bumrah’s quality for the future should not come in the way of furthering the cause of the Team presently. This issue should be addressed pragmatically.
