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Damien Fleming has expressed doubts about Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness and the Indian fast bowler has more than just a cramp.
Jasprit Bumrah looked in pain on the field (AP)
Former Australian cricket team fast bowler Damien Fleming has alleged that the Indian cricket team is hiding the fact Jasprit Bumrah may be injured.
The Indian cricket team had an intensive net session in Adelaide on Tuesday after their 10-wicket defeat in the pink-ball Test earlier in the week. The five-match series is level at 1-1 after India’s comanding 295-run win in the opening match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth.
On Tuesday, the bowling unit consisted the likes of Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, Yash Dayal and the spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar trained hard in the nets, while there were a few throwdown specialists as well.
The key Indian pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj along with seam-bowling allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy looked to have a lean day.
“There’s got to be some serious doubts. Siraj might be workload [related] but I’m bemused Bumrah bowled that over. They could have hid this. They showed their hand,” Damien Fleming was quoted as saying on SEN Radio.
“There’s no way that’s cramp. He was very ginger after the break in the first innings. He bowled again, not quite as slow second innings. I don’t even know why he bowled that over [in the second innings]. That actually gave some secrets away to everyone,” he added.
Earlier, India bowling coach Morne Morkel assured that it was just a cramp and the pacer is “fine.” Bumrah, who claimed an eight-wicket match haul in India’s 295-run win in the series opener, showed signs of discomfort while bowling the 81st over of Australia’s innings.
He was attended to by the team’s physio but resumed bowling immediately, completing his over and delivering three more overs later in the session.
“Firstly, with Bumrah, he’s fine; it was just this cramp. Yeah, even because after that, you know, he bowled and you got the wickets twice,” Morkel said at the post-match press conference.
(With inputs from Agencies)
