Star India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been out of action for a while now but is expected to make his return in India’s tour of New Zealand early next year. The series gets underway on January 24 and will end with the second Test starting February 29. Bumrah is currently recovering from a stress fracture on his lower back that he developed just before the home series against South Africa.
The yorker specialist missed the Bangladesh series and is also not available for the home series against the West Indies. MSK Prasad, the national chief selector, has said that the BCCI is awaiting an update on the bowler’s recovery and that he can’t return before next month. But Prasad was also confident that Bumrah will be fit as a fiddle for the tour of New Zealand.
“He (Bumrah) is gradually getting back to full fitness, though we need to hear from the people working on his recovery. His return cannot be before next month as we are still waiting for a report on him. But of course, he is expected to be back for the New Zealand series,” Prasad was quoted as saying in The Telegraph.
Even in absence of Bumrah, the Indian pacers performed exceptionally well against Bangladesh and were the architect of the series wins. The current pace trio of Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma is seen as the most lethal pace attacks India ever had.
In the historic pink-ball match that was played in Kolkata, Shami, Umesh and Ishant picked up 19 wickets. Ishant was adjudged the Player of the Match and the Series after he picked up nine wickets in Eden Gardens which also included a five-wicket haul on Day 3 of the game.
“I think this is one of the all-time best seam attacks in the history of Indian cricket,” Prasad added.
