India are yet to board the flight to Sri Lanka for a crucial two-Test series, but even before they land on the Emerald Isle, they have suffered a massive setback.
The surfaces are likely to assist spin, but even in those conditions, Jasprit Bumrah’s importance could not be understated. On Sunday, the 32-year-old was ruled out of the series after failing to recover in time from the knee injury he sustained in England.
India are fifth on the World Test Championship (WTC) table and the two Tests in Sri Lanka are crucial to keep their WTC final qualification hopes alive. A fragile batting unit on turning tracks notwithstanding, India will have to take on Sri Lanka without their pace spearhead.
Ever since Bumrah injured his left knee (via impact in the game), the expectation was that he would be available for the series starting in Galle on August 15. When the BCCI named the squad for the series, they added an asterisk to say that Bumrah’s availability was subject to fitness.
The hope that the 32-year-old would play atleast one of the Tests has also evaporated. The Indian Express understands that the impact injury he sustained at Cardiff has only aggravated the knee issue that has been persisting since the T20 World Cup.
While Bumrah did recover from that injury and was cleared to feature in the IPL without any trouble, the blow he suffered in England aggravated the underlying issue.
The Indian Express understands that as per the rehab programme, after taking an injection, Bumrah was expected to resume bowling over the weekend and gradually build his workload ahead of the Tests. But that is unlikely to happen any time soon with the pacer advised to rest.
Given his importance, India were even ready to wait for a week and fly him to Sri Lanka, where they will first play a three-day warm-up fixture from August 7 at Colombo. If not, the idea of training and recovering with the team was also explored, but the medical team at the Centre of Excellence has preferred to tread cautiously, keeping the long-term future in mind.
New plan
Instead, the focus has shifted towards finding a long-term solution rather than merely managing the injury. “The solution is not a stop-gap. If we rush him now, then there is a strong chance he could break down again,” sources in the know revealed.
The 50-over World Cup next year, along with the New Zealand tour in October and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January, remains top priority.
India are hesitant to take any risks with Bumrah by hurrying him up. Since suffering a career-threatening back injury, he has managed his workload with utmost care, preferring not to rush. Bumrah remains firm on playing all three formats, and the decision not to hasten his return has been taken with an eye on future challenges.
File image of Jasprit Bumrah during the India vs West Indies Test cricket match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi in October last year. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)
Search for Plan B
Bumrah’s absence means India will have to alter their plans significantly in the bowling department. With Washington Sundar already ruled out of the first Test and doubtful for the second, they will no longer enjoy the luxury of batting depth. The question that confronts them is, in case Sri Lanka opt for flat decks that start turning later on in the Test, who will partner Mohammed Siraj? Beyond him, the other options available in the squad are Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar, with Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi being the front-runner to replace Bumrah.
While Prasidh’s natural length may not be suited to the conditions in Sri Lanka, he has worked, off late, to rectify the issue. If India prefer to go with a pacer who takes conditions out of the equation, then they might turn to Brar, as his raw pace can be a factor across conditions. Nabi, if he joins the team, offers something unique, but whether they play him straightaway remains the question.
Though Bumrah featured in all four Tests at home last year against West Indies and South Africa, he played in only three out of the five Tests in England last year.
Given his back trouble, he didn’t play successive Tests, and in Sri Lanka, there is only a three-day gap between the two matches that will be played in Galle and Colombo’s SSC.
India leave for Sri Lanka on Tuesday, having not played Test cricket since the home series against South Africa in November. A short camp and a three-day warm-up fixture in Colombo will precede the opening Test in Galle, where they will have to adapt quickly to life without Bumrah.