The discourse surrounding India's squad for the Australia tour continues to simmer among cricket aficionados. The debate over why Rohit Sharma was sidelined to make way for Shubman Gill as captain at this juncture persists unabated.
Amidst this debate, a matter that has been unceremoniously swept under the rug is Jasprit Bumrah's exclusion from the ODI team.
In his absence, Mohammed Siraj will spearhead India's pace attack. BCCI sources indicate that Bumrah has been rested from the one-day series due to workload management—the same rationale that saw him sit out two Tests during the England tour. Now, his compatriot Siraj has broken his silence on this contentious issue.
A section of cricket enthusiasts had been harboring suspicions that Bumrah was deliberately avoiding matches under the pretext of workload management. Siraj has now put paid to such speculation.
In a recent interview, he stated that Bumrah doesn't lose sleep over external chatter. He had suffered a severe back injury and even underwent major surgery. Had he bowled even a single delivery in that England match, questions would have arisen about his ability to ever bowl again. Besides the injury, his bowling action is quite unorthodox. Hence, taking a risk would have been imprudent. India needs him for all crucial tournaments from the Asia Cup to next year's World Cup.
Siraj has advised Indian supporters to exercise patience. He also said that fans should understand Bumrah is the backbone of the Indian team. Therefore, his fitness is crucial. Siraj also affirmed that Bumrah has indeed made the right decision. Additionally, Siraj revealed that he had embarked on the England tour with the personal goal of becoming the highest wicket-taker.
