Jasprit Bumrah, India’s stand-in captain for the fifth and decisive Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, broke his silence on the back injury that sidelined him during Australia’s tense chase of 162.
Bumrah, who stepped into the captaincy role after regular skipper Rohit Sharma opted out, was named Player of the Series for his outstanding performance, claiming 32 wickets to emerge as the series’ top wicket-taker.
Jasprit Bumrah reflects on hi injury and India’s gut-wrenching loss
Speaking to Isa Guha, despite his personal success, Bumrah expressed disappointment at missing out on what he described as “the spiciest wicket of the series,” The injury, which struck on Day 2 of the Test, saw Bumrah rushed to the hospital for scans after he experienced significant discomfort during his second spell. Although he courageously walked out to bat on Day 3, he could only manage a three-ball duck before being ruled out of bowling duties in Australia’s second innings. In his absence, India’s bowlers fought valiantly but ultimately fell short, allowing Australia to clinch a dominating six-wicket victory.
“Little frustrating but sometimes you have to respect your body, you can’t fight your body. Disappointing, probably missed out on the spiciest wicket of the series. Felt a bit of discomfort during my second spell in the first innings,” Bumrah admitted during the post-match presentation.
Bumrah’s thoughts on Team India’s fight in the series
Reflecting on the series, Bumrah commended the younger players for their resilience and the valuable lessons they would take away. Bumrah emphasized the importance of learning from such experiences, particularly for newcomers to international cricket.
“So, a lot of ifs and buts, because the whole series was well fought, and today as well we were in game; it was not like it was totally one sided. This is how Test cricket goes; in the nervy moments, whichever team holds their nerve for the longest and sticks together and tries to find a way out of that will win the series. I think it was a well-fought series, lot of learnings for us and experience that our players have gained who’ve come here for the first time. Being in the game for longer, creating pressure, sometimes absorbing pressure when wickets are difficult, sometimes playing to the situation,” Bumrah concluded.
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Scoot Boland’s brilliance and Australia’s redemption
Prasidh Krishna, playing his first Test on the tour, made an immediate impact in Bumrah’s absence. His fiery spell on Day 3 helped India polish off Australia’s lower order, securing a slender four-run first-innings lead. Krishna, along with Mohammed Siraj, shared the responsibility in the second innings, with the pair claiming four wickets to keep India in the hunt. However, crucial knocks from Usman Khawaja (41), Travis Head (34 not out), and debutant Beau Webster (39 not out) steered Australia to a hard-fought victory.
Earlier, India’s batting collapse on Day 3 proved costly as they added just 16 runs to their overnight score, folding for 157 inside the first session. The irrepressible Scott Boland was the architect of India’s batting collapse, finishing with 6/45 and a match haul of 10 wickets. His relentless accuracy and pace exposed India’s frailties, setting the stage for Australia’s pursuit of 162.
While Krishna offered India hope with three quick wickets, including the dismissal of Steve Smith, Australia’s middle order held firm. Head and Webster ensured no further hiccups, guiding Australia to a memorable victory that underlined the fine margins of the series. For India, it was a painful reminder of how small moments can decide the fate of a match and, ultimately, a series.