T20 World Cup 2022: Why Jasprit Bumrah's absence is a big worry for India
Former Indian cricketer Wasim Zafar thinks that no one can replace Jasprit Bumrah.
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| Jasprit Bumrah । Photo:Collected |
In an analysis by popular cricket website ESPNcricinfo, he said, "There are many cricketers in India now, there are many variations but Bumrah is special. No one can take his place."
India's star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is not playing in the World Cup due to injury, it has been heard for a long time in the media, the Indian cricket governing body - BCCI finally confirmed last night.
Bumrah bowled well on both sides, the powerplay and the end of the innings.
So not having Bumrah is definitely a big shock for India says Wasim Zafar.
Jasprit Bumrah's absence is also being taken seriously by opposition cricketers, with Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood saying, "The bowler that Bumrah is in T20 cricket, India will surely miss him."
There are many other fast bowlers in India, but Jasprit Bumrah is one in the world, a 'special bowler' as Zafar calls him.
Bumrah leaves the ball very late, which is very rare for fast bowlers, the batsman often does not realize the moment of release from the crease - which makes it difficult to play when Bumrah bowls a yorker.
Bumrah has given 6.62 runs per over in his T20 career which is a very good economy rate in this era, in this format of cricket.
Now that Jasprit Bumrah is out of Australia for the World Cup, the Indian cricket team management is now thinking of how to mitigate this loss.
BCCI is working on a way now, to play a fast bowler directly against a fast bowler, for which they are thinking of Mohammad Shami and Deepak Chahar.
But Shami gives about 10 runs per over, it is a matter of thought for them.
Mohammad Siraj is another fast bowler who can replace Bumrah.
But Deepak Chahar's major weakness is that he doesn't have the pace of Shami or Siraj.
Speed will be a big determinant on Australian soil.
Shane Watson spoke about Siraj in an interview with the International Cricket Council.
"Bumrah does a great job with pace and bounce. Siraj is still not doing as well as Bumrah but will work in Australia."
Siraj has a history of performing in Test cricket on Australian soil.
An analysis on the International Cricket Council-ICC website suggests that India can also focus on batting to resolve the Bumrah crisis, reducing the pressure on the bowlers.
Hardik Pandya bowls pace, can also bowl well.
Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Akshar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin are known as bowlers but can do well with the bat.
But all these are alternatives, the absence of Bumrah will put the team management of the Indian team under pressure.
As cricket analyst and writer Boria Majumdar opines, "There is no one like Jasprit Bumrah in the world. That is why he is the best and unique."
In a tweet Mr. Majumdar wrote, "Whoever replaces Jasprit Bumrah will have pressure on his head. Because the way Bumrah bowls in the last overs. Very few bowlers can do that. But for now, Shami seems to be the better option in terms of experience."
However, the absence of Jasprit Bumrah is also rekindling the debate about the impact of the Indian Premier League on Indian cricket.
BBC Five Live commentator Nikesh Rughani wrote on Twitter, "Jasprit Bumrah has played in 59 of the 60 IPL matches since 2019. India have played 71 matches during this period, Bumrah has played in 16."
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