Jasprit Bumrah’s heroic performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia has drawn both admiration and concern, with fellow pacer Umesh Yadav shedding light on the immense physical toll shouldered by India’s pace spearhead. Umesh, speaking exclusively to InsideSport, acknowledged Bumrah’s critical role in the series and weighed in on whether he was overbowled during the gruelling five-match Test series. Having taken 170 Test wickets for India, the 37-year-old knows a thing about bowling regular spells in a high-octane series.
“Bumrah gives his 200% every time he bowls” bowls”—Umesh Yadav
In his analysis of Bumrah’s workload, Yadav highlighted the relentless intensity with which the pacer operates. “Whenever Jasprit Bumrah comes to bowl, he gives his 200%. He likes the battles, and he always goes for wickets, which demands extra effort,” Yadav said. He emphasized the unique challenges faced by Bumrah, a bowler who thrives on attacking and unsettling batters rather than relying on defensive tactics.
He also pointed out the physical strain involved in such performances. “It takes a toll on his knee and back. Despite this, he is the team’s go-to bowler. The recovery time gets diminished, especially when playing back-to-back Tests,” he added.
The pacer acknowledged the gaps between matches, such as during New Year’s Eve, which provided brief respite. However, Yadav suggested that a game’s rest might have benefitted Bumrah in the long run. Yet, the team’s dependence on him made such a move impractical. “Without him, our bowling attack would have weakened,” Yadav admitted.
“Despite all this, he is the only go-to bowler. In that case, the recovery time gets diminished. Yes, after playing five matches, he had a lot of load on himself. He could’ve rested for a game but we all know what the situation was—that we couldn’t give him ample rest.”
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Jasprit Bumrah, take a bow
Bumrah’s workload has been extraordinary in the series, having bowled 151.2 overs, the most by any Indian bowler (when Bumrah was available). He claimed 32 wickets at an average of 13.06, with three five-wicket hauls. Despite a lacklustre performance from India’s batters and inconsistent bowling from other pacers and spinners, Bumrah stood out as the team’s savior. However, his body gave out during the Sydney Test. He complained for a back spasm and couldn’t bowl in the second innings, where Australia clinched the Test and won BGT by 3-1. While Bumrah has been selected in India’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, his participation is still under question.
Catch entire Umesh Yadav interview below
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