On Saturday, January 4, during the second session of the fifth Test match between Australia and India at the storied Sydney Cricket Ground, Jasprit Bumrah departed the pitch after bowling just one over. Bumrah has been by far the series’ best bowler, so this is a major blow to the Asian powerhouses.
After lunch, stand-in captain Bumrah took the pitch, but he only bowled one over before handing the team over to Virat Kohli. Following this, he did not play, and subsequent footage showed the ace speedster driving away from the scenic venue with the team doctor. It is believed that Bumrah is going for a scan at a local medical facility. The 31-year-old’s uneasiness prior to leaving the ground, however, has not been verified.
On Day 2, Bumrah got rid of Marnus Labuschagne in the fourth over when Rishabh Pant caught him behind the stumps. Before leaving the field, he bowled 10 overs, giving up 33 runs and taking two wickets. With only three frontline seamers available for the Test match, his absence puts India in a vulnerable situation.
Jasprit Bumrah has left the SCG: https://t.co/0nmjl6Qp2a pic.twitter.com/oQaygWRMyc
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 4, 2025
In Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, Nitish Reddy and Prasidh Krishna take over.
All-rounder Nitish Reddy had to enter the attack after Bumrah left the pitch. In the first innings, the 21-year-old did well with the ball in hand but was unable to make an impact with the bat. In the second session, he removed Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in back-to-back overs.
In the meantime, Alex Carey and Beau Webster were added to the total by Prasidh Krishna, who had also taken out Steve Smith in the first session. At 166, Australia lost their ninth wicket. As of this writing, they are 15 runs behind India’s first inning total.
India
