Unwell Bumrah misses India’s opener against United States
India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah missed the team’s opening T20 World Cup match against the United States on Saturday after feeling slightly under the weather and skipping the training session the previous evening. With the opening fixture expected to be a one-sided affair, the Indian team management is in no mood to take any risk with its most important fast bowler at the very start of a long campaign, it is learnt.
Bumrah, central to India’s white-ball plans, did not bowl at the nets on Friday, prompting speculation that he could be rested purely as a precautionary measure. He was running a bit of temperature. As the 32-year-old failed to recover in time, Mohammed Siraj, who joined the squad on Friday evening, joined the slot into the playing XI.
However, with Hardik Pandya likely to share the new ball, Siraj might have to operate as the first-change bowler. India have a packed group schedule with matches lined up on February 12 against Namibia, on February 15 against Pakistan and on February 18 versus Holland. The Pakistan fixture remains doubtful due to the prevailing uncertainty, making the USA contest largely inconsequential in the larger scheme of things.
Given the heavy workload ahead and tougher opponents to follow, resting Bumrah against a relatively inexperienced side appears the most sensible option. The team management feels that preserving Bumrah for the business end of the tournament is paramount.
