Why is Jasprit Bumrah to miss Tests against South Africa?
News about Jasprit Bumrah to miss Tests against South Africa is clearly the current talking point from the perspective of Indian cricket at the moment. Right ahead of the 3-match Test series against the touring South Africans, it could be said that this is a big blow for the hosts India.
And one wonders, what could be possibly bigger than the news surrounding sensational pacer Jasprit Bumrah (who is) to miss Tests against South Africa?
This effectively means that among the most lethal fast bowlers in the business today shall be considered out, injured for the entirety of the 3-match series that is being contended post the completion of the recent T20s.
With his long, hoppy run-up, amplified by a wristy high-arm action, over the course of the past few years, Jasprit Bumrah has emerged as the great nadir of batsmen from around the world. In fact, to suggest that to this day, there hasn’t been a single batsman who has dominated the right-arm, often associated with the most lethal yorker deliveries may not be an understatement or overestimation of his talents.
During a recent routine radiological screening, Jasprit Bumrah was found to be unfit, down to a minor stress fracture in his lower back.
How Bumrah’s loss is Umesh Yadav’s gain?
Immediately in the aftermath of the confirmation about Jasprit Bumrah’s absence in the forthcoming five-day series, Team India rolled out a key replacement.
Umesh Yadav, who last featured for India at Perth, in Australia but back in 2018 finds himself once again back in the business. One supposes the right-arm medium pacer would be keen to be among the wickets as his fluttering Test career finds itself a second wind. Remember Yadav was ignored in the recent successful Test outing in the Caribbean.
Typically, the hard surfaces in India offer a great balance for both batsmen and the bowlers and one can be sure of pitches offering a good assistance for the slower bowlers. To that count, while there’s little doubt about Ravindra Jadeja’s selection, the news about Umesh Yadav partnering Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami spices up the prospect of the hosts unfurling a spectacular bowling attack against a newly revamped South African Test side.
Umesh Yadav’s last Test outing
While Umesh Yadav, 31, failed to pick a single wicket in the second innings of the Perth Test against the Australians, he was among the pick of the bowlers in India’s first inning bundling of Australia where he removed both Khwaja (cheaply for 5) and Pat Cummins who lasted for around 109 minutes at the crease.
It will also be interesting to see as to which among the Indian pacer trio- now including Umesh in addition to Ishant and Shami- will be opening the attack against Faf du Plessis’ South Africa.
Why India will miss Jasprit Bumrah big?
But above anything else, it must be said that India are going to miss out on Jasprit Bumrah big time.
For starters, 14 of Bumrah’s 62 wickets have come against South Africa, especially at a time where the side featured the great AB de Villiers. His Test figures also boast of an exceptional 5-54, collected down in South Africa.
So far, Bumrah has traveled only once to the great Protea land (2017-18 series) and would’ve been a fine fit against the tourists, who would’ve been curious to face his pace-bowling hostility at a time where familiar and exceptional talents like Hashim Amla and JP Duminy have moved on from the game.
That said, now the news is confirmed regarding Jasprit Bumrah to miss Tests against South Africa, how well can Umesh Yadav make most of this gifted opportunity?