Jasprit Bumrah, the star Indian pacer, has delivered a stunning response to doubters who questioned his career after a stress fracture in his back. Bumrah’s journey leading up to the Asia Cup 2023 had been challenging, marked by a prolonged back injury that kept him out of major tournaments, including the 2022 Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. His absence had left a void in the Indian team’s pursuit of tournament victories. However, Bumrah’s triumphant return in August included captaining the Indian team in a three-match T20I series against Ireland, leading to lingering doubts about his effectiveness.
Since his comeback three months ago, Bumrah has obliterated all uncertainty surrounding his resurgence. He has emerged as an even more formidable and menacing force, claiming 26 wickets from 13 innings across ODIs and T20Is, rendering him practically unplayable.
During his absence, fans questioned Bumrah’s return, prompting a wave of internet memes. However, he remained undaunted and focused on recovery. Bumrah’s diligent training at the NCA nets aimed to prevent a recurrence of the injury he suffered during the Australia series in September. Despite the criticism and rumors surrounding his absence, Bumrah is content with how his return to the Indian team has unfolded.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Bumrah responded to the doubts about his comeback: “My wife [the TV sports presenter Sanjana Ganesan] also works in the sports-media department. So yeah, I heard a lot of question marks on my career that I will never come back and all of that, but it doesn’t really matter. I’m very happy. I came back and I realized how much I love playing the game. I was not chasing anything. Great headspace was there when I came back from the injury. So yeah, eventually I’m looking at the positives and trying to enjoy as much as you can.”
Bumrah’s stellar performance in the World Cup, where he has claimed 14 wickets from 6 matches, continued against England. He secured 3/32 to dismiss the defending champions for just 129 while chasing a target of 230. The victory against England is being hailed as India’s best win in the World Cup for several reasons. Notably, it was the first time India batted first in the tournament, and the bowlers responded impressively by restricting England to a low total.
Bumrah talks about his game plan
Bumrah acknowledged the challenge posed by England’s performance with the ball and discussed his strategy during the defense: “It was a good challenge for us that we were put under pressure. We lost a little bit of early wickets. We had to squeeze in, and in the field as well, we had to put in a lot of effort.
So yeah, very happy with the result. It was really good for us because we’ve been fielding first, and we’ve been doing that for a while now. Usually when you bowl with the new ball, you first search for swing if there is some swing. Otherwise, you just try and hit a hard length and make it as difficult as possible. So there was a little bit of swing, but not too much from my end. Then I tried to seam the ball a lot more, which was helping a little bit. So then I changed to seam bowling.”
Jasprit Bumrah’s remarkable comeback is undoubtedly a source of pride and inspiration for cricket fans worldwide as he continues to shine in the World Cup.
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