Jasprit Bumrah might not participate in the India vs Bangladesh Test Series 2024
Indian pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah is expected to miss the 2-match test series against Bangladesh starting from September 19. Since Team India’s T20 World Cup triumph in June 2024 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, Bumrah hasn’t featured in any of the international matches.
The 30-year-old speedster is expected to come back for the 3-match home test series against New Zealand, commencing on October 16.
Earlier, Bumrah has taken several breaks in the past due to injury issues and underwent surgery in March 2023 due to a stress fracture in his back. This makes fans doubt his fitness levels and the uncertainties speculate that India’s core pacer faced any injuries in recent times.
Notably, he is one of the key absentees from the Duleep Trophy squad along with Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, who will not take part in the domestic tournament featuring various other core cricketers participating.
The BCCI selection committee plans to include either Arshdeep Singh or Khaleel Ahmed in the squad for the next fixtures. Both these left-arm pacers have proved their best talents and strengthened their positions in the white-ball cricket squad, but they are yet to make their debut in test cricket.
Reasons Why Jasprit Bumrah Won’t Play Test Series against Bangladesh?
BCCI selectors wanted to give Jasprit Bumrah a well-deserved break for his exceptional performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024 and are keen to keep him fresh and injury-free for the test series against New Zealand and Australia. Also, it is expected that spinners will mostly dominate the upcoming series in Bangladesh.
It is understood that the management and selectors of the Indian cricket team are planning to introduce huge variations in the fast bowling attack.
Moreover, Mohammed Shami is aiming to make a comeback in the Bangladesh series, after being out of action since the ODI World Cup 2023.
Team India is currently equipped with a busy schedule. Starting from the red ball series against Bangladesh, the first test match will be played on 19th September, and the second test on September 27 at Kanpur. Within a short span, India will host three tests against New Zealand in October-November 2024. Later, Rohit Sharma’s led side will travel to Australia to participate in the Border Gavaskar Trophy which consists of a 5-match test series starting from November 22 onwards.
Mainly, providing additional rest to Bumrah makes him 100% fit and his presence in the squad guides India to a third consecutive Border Gavaskar Trophy victory on Australian soil.
BCCI Source Clarifies Bumrah’s Fitness and Future Participation for Team India
One of the close sources to BCCI clarified that the selectors are concerned about Bumrah’s fitness for all five test series against Australia:
“YES! He (Bumrah) is completely fit. He is well aware of his body condition, and it is upto him if he wants to participate in the test series against Bangladesh. However, the team management and selectors are open-minded and India needs a 100-120 percent fit Jasprit Bumrah for the 5-match test series in Australia. Before that, India will play the home test series against New Zealand, where Bumrah might play. Overall, he is getting ready for the toughest tests”, a BCCI source stated.
Jasprit Bumrah’s Last Appearance in Test Cricket
Jasprit Bumrah played his previous test match in India’s five-match home series against England in early 2024. He was the third-highest wicket-taker of the red ball series by bagging 19 wickets in 4 matches, achieving the best bowling average in the series of 16.89 and a strike rate of 32.79.
Bumrah’s Performance in T20 World Cup 2024
Jasprit Bumrah was the second-highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup 2024 by taking 15 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 8.27 and conceding just 124 runs throughout the tournament.
Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed set for Test Debut against Bangladesh
Either Arshdeep Singh or Khaleel Ahmed, or both of them could grab a spot in India’s squad to mark their test debut in the Bangladesh series and fill the void left by Jasprit Bumrah.
Arshdeep Singh played a pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 success and ranked as the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament. He grabbed 17 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 12.65. Also, he was recommended to play test cricket by the former head coach Rahul Dravid. As a result, Arshdeep was sent to play County cricket games in England in the previous year to gain experience.
In contrast, Khaleel Ahmed often gets injured and is unpredictable about his performance, especially in the longer formats of cricket. But, he still holds a positive opinion of his skills, despite his injury and inconsistency.
↻ Duleep Trophy 2024–25 Squads Officially Released For all 4 Teams
Conclusion:
The rumors were spreading like wildfire that Jasprit Bumrah would return for the Bangladesh test series in September 2024. However, the team management and selectors confirmed that they are keen on Bumrah’s complete fitness for the forthcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, which is a part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2023-25.
Furthermore, securing a victory in the 5-match test series against Australia is crucial for India to maintain the winning streak in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Most importantly, the Indian cricket team needs to solidify its ranking in the WTC points table 2023-25 by winning all five test matches. Ultimately, this enhances their chances to participate in the WTC 2025 finals.
