Jasprit Bumrah likely to miss majority of home Test series against Australia: Reports

Jasprit Bumrah has been in and out of India’s squad of late. After missing out on the Asia Cup 2022, he returned to international cricket in September for the home series against Australia but his injury worsened. As a result, he was ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2022. After a long break, he was added to India’s squad for the Sri Lanka ODIs, but was ruled out again just a day before the opening fixture.

With the all-important World Test Championship final on the line, Team India will have to give their best against Australia, who tour between February-March 2023 for a four-match Test series. The Border Gavaskar Trophy will be the last series for both sides, and will decide their fate. At least three wins against Australia would assure India a place in the finals of the tournament.

As the series approaches, a report by ESPNCricinfo revealed that Bumrah will be out for most of the duration of the Test series against Australia because of right glute stiffness, which would require at least another month of recovery. After recovering from the back injury he sustained prior to the 2022 T20 World Cup, Bumrah was on his approach to rejoining the India ODI team when he suffered this fresh injury.

Bumrah advised extended rehabilitation

India, one of the leading contenders to make it to the WTC final, will be in trouble due to Bumrah’s extended rehabilitation. Bumrah was uneasy on the second day of acclimating to heavier workloads in Mumbai, despite passing a match simulation test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Bumrah might play in the second half of the Test series against Australia if all goes according to plan with his recovery.

Jasprit Bumrah was put through match-simulation trials at the NCA in accordance with the plan before being approved for selection. He had new bowling trials in Mumbai under the direction of Nitin Patel, head of the NCA's sports science wing and the ultimate decision-maker regarding a player's fitness clearance, after passing those tests at the NCA last week. 

After those examinations and the scan results, it was concluded that Bumrah would require further rehabilitation time. Bumrah's present level of fitness was explained to the BCCI and the newly-formed selection committee, which is chaired by former India seamer Chetan Sharma. After that, the BCCI declared that the delay in his comeback was a precautionary step and that Bumrah would not play in the ODIs against the Islanders as he required "some more time to build bowling resilience."

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