India’s chances of holding on to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy took a serious blow when skipper Jasprit Bumrah was unable to bowl on Day 3 of the fifth Test at the SCG. Bumrah, who had bowled over 150 overs during the series, picked up an injury during his second spell on Day 2. With Bumrah unable to bowl, India couldn’t defend their total and lost the Border Gavaskar Trophy after almost a decade.
Bumrah Misses Out on a Crucial Spell
In a post-match interview, Bumrah revealed his frustration with the injury. “Little frustrating but sometimes you have to respect your body. You can’t fight your body,” he told the broadcaster. The Indian skipper acknowledged missing out on bowling on what he termed the “spiciest wicket of the series.”
Bumrah experienced discomfort during his second spell in the first innings. On the morning of Day 3, he attempted to bowl but quickly realised that he wouldn’t be able to continue. Prasidh Krishna later confirmed that Bumrah was dealing with a back spasm, and the medical staff was closely monitoring his condition.
Stepping Up in a Bowler’s Absence
India managed to set a target of just 162 runs. Speaking about the team’s mindset, the skipper said, “The chat was about belief. The other bowlers stepped up in the first innings. With a bowler short, the others had to take responsibility. The chat this morning was about the same thing—having belief and showing character.”
Bumrah praised his teammates for their showmanship despite being a bowler down.”Lots of ifs and buts, the whole series was fought hard, we were in the game today as well, not like we were out of it, this is how Test cricket goes.”, he said.
Border-Gavaskar Series Performance
Despite India’s series loss, Bumrah’s individual performances stood out. The fast bowler claimed 32 wickets at a staggering average of 12.83. This earned him the ‘Player of the Series’ title. His tally tied with Harbhajan Singh’s record for most wickets in a Border-Gavaskar series. Harbhajan had achieved this feat in the iconic 2000/01 series with 32 wickets at an average of 17.03.
Bumrah’s contributions in the 2024-25 series were pivotal, especially on tricky pitches. His ability to extract bounce and seam movement made him a constant threat to Australia’s batting lineup.
Bumrah believes that the series has taught valuable lessons to the team. “Being in the game for longer, creating pressure, absorbing pressure, and playing to the situation are all important. These learnings will help us in the future,” he concluded.
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