Jasprit Bumrah doubtful for Sri Lanka series

Jasprit Bumrah, the main weapon of the Indian pace attack, is unlikely to be available for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka as he has not fully recovered from the knee injury he sustained in the ODI series against England last month.

The 32-year-old pacer was included in the squad for the series on condition that he passes a fitness test. With a gap of about four weeks between the squad announcement and the start of the Galle Test on August 15, the team management was hopeful that he would be fit in time.

However, his return to the field has been delayed due to discomfort in his knee during rehabilitation. While his chances of playing in the second Test are not yet completely gone, the Indian team management is against taking any risks with him considering his previous injury history.

Bumrah was supposed to start bowling by the end of this week, but this new complication may keep him out of the field for at least a few more weeks.

The 52-match Test experience fast bowler has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. He was sidelined for long periods due to a serious back problem. Since his return to the field, the Indian team has been carefully managing his workload to avoid any risk of injury.

His absence is a major blow to India’s World Test Championship finals equation. India will need to get positive results in the next four Tests against Sri Lanka and New Zealand to stay in contention for the title at Lord’s.

In the absence of Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj will have to play a key role in India’s pace attack, with Prasidh Krishna likely to be a support bowler. The fact that neither of them has much experience playing red-ball cricket in Sri Lankan conditions will pose a big challenge for India ahead of the series.