India captain and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was forced to leave the field early during the post-lunch session on Day 2 of the Sydney Test due to concerns about a back injury. He was observed leaving the stadium for medical scans and later returned to the dressing room during the final session. Addressing the media at the end of the day’s play, Prasidh Krishna confirmed that Bumrah had experienced a back spasm.
The setback meant Bumrah did not take the field during the morning session of Day 3, as India battled to level the series. On Day 2, Bumrah had bowled eight overs, claiming the crucial wicket of Marnus Labuschagne. However, his spell was cut short just one over into a new stint post-lunch. At the time of his exit, Bumrah had already bowled 151.2 overs across five Tests in the series, a workload surpassed only by Australia’s Pat Cummins, who had bowled 152 overs. Bumrah’s immense contributions included a series-leading 32 wickets at an astonishing average of 13.06, but the relentless demands placed on him due to team composition and a lack of equally potent alternatives raised concerns about overuse and potential injury.
During the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, Rohit Sharma openly acknowledged the risk of overworking Bumrah. Rohit explained, “When someone is in such phenomenal form, you naturally want to make the most of it. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing with Bumrah.” He continued, “However, there comes a point when it’s essential to step back and provide that much-needed breather. We’ve been extremely cautious, and I’ve been personally attentive to how he feels and other factors on the field. It’s a delicate balance that requires careful management.”
This wasn’t the first injury scare for Bumrah in the series. During the second Test in Adelaide, he had required physio assistance after experiencing discomfort near his groin while bowling his 20th over. Despite this, Bumrah overcame the issue and went on to deliver an extraordinary performance throughout the series, equaling Harbhajan Singh’s record for the most wickets by an Indian bowler in a single Test series against Australia.
