Bumrah ruled out of ODI series against Sri Lanka after complaining 'stiff back' during net bowling
Guwahati/New Delhi, Jan 9: Jasprit Bumrah's return to action has been delayed further as he has failed to recover fully from his lower back stress fracture, ruling out the senior India pacer from the ODI series against Sri Lanka.
It is understood that Bumrah was ruled out after he complained of "stiff back" during the last two net sessions at the NCA before he was supposed to fly to Guwahati for the first One-dayer.
Bumrah was named in the squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka, starting Tuesday, but the BCCI's support staff and medical team have collectively decided that his "return to play" should be pushed back, keeping the all-important Border Gavaskar Trophy in mind.
"Team India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the upcoming 3-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Bumrah, who was set to join the team in Guwahati ahead of the ODI series, will need some more time to build bowling resilience. This decision has been taken as a precautionary measure," the BCCI said in a statement.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has not named any replacement for Jasprit Bumrah," added the BCCI.
Skipper Rohit Sharma termed it as "unfortunate".
"It's a very unfortunate incident with him. The poor guy (Bumrah) has been working really hard at the NCA for all this time.
"Just when he got back to his full fitness, when he started bowling and everything, in the last two days I think this incident happened where he felt a little bit of stiffness in his back," Rohit told mediapersons here on Monday.
However, the skipper informed that it was " nothing major" and more of a safety measure.
"It's just a stiffness, when Bumrah says anything you have to be very cautious about it. That is what we did, I thought it was very important to make that decision then -- just pull him out.
"When we named him (Bumrah) he was in the process of getting his workload done, he was bowling at the nets. We need to be very careful with him. He had a major injury before the World Cup."
On January 3 the BCCI had mailed that the NCA medical team has declared the pacer "fit" and he would join the team for the Lanka series.
While the NCA sports science and medicine team under Dr Nitin Patel is again under the scanner but a former India A team support staff said that this wasn't the medical team's fault.
"Please understand this carefully. On January 3, when he was declared fit, it is perhaps his workload management was satisfactory. Now how do you do it? Different body types, depends on what sort of format they are getting into, on injury."
He then elaborated how workload is managed.
"Mohammed Shami with a conventional action will have different pressure points compared to Bumrah, who has an unorthodox action. Now post recovery, you will be first told to bowl may be five deliveries at 50 percent intensity from short run-up.
"Then may be 15 deliveries at 60 percent intensity and full run up. Then 15 to 20 deliveries at full 100 percent intensity. After that match simulation, you probably need to bowl 60 deliveries at full tilt.
"I could be wrong but his back perhaps isn't holding up when he bowled longer spells and that can't be the medical team's fault," he added.
It will be interesting to see if Bumrah recovers to compete against New Zealand in the ODI series, starting January 18, and is fielded without playing even one domestic game.
"The committee under MSK Prasad and earlier team management had made a rule that a player in order to return from injury must play at least one or if possible two domestic games before being termed ready for international comeback," a former office bearer recalled.
Bumrah sustained a lower back stress fracture post England tour and missed the Asia Cup last year.
To improve the team's chances at the T20 World Cup, Bumrah was rushed to the T20 side during a home series against Australia, where he broke down once again and was ruled out for an indefinite period.
It will not be a surprise if Bumrah does not play the entire four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy, starting February 9. He is expected to be used sparingly as he would be needed for the marquee ODI World Cup at home later this year.
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Mann has 'understanding' with Amit Shah to split AAP after Lok Sabha polls, claims SAD chief Badal
Sangrur (Punjab), May 11: Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has an "understanding" with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to split AAP into a separate Punjab unit after the elections, like Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde did in Maharashtra, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed on Saturday.
Badal made the claim while addressing rallies at Sunam and Dhuri for the Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Sangrur candidate Iqbal Singh Jhundan.
"Bhagwant Mann has compromised with the BJP as he felt he would also be arrested like his boss (Arvind) Kejriwal because he had also perpetrated the same liquor scam as done by AAP in Delhi. This understanding has saved him from arrest," Badal alleged.
Shiv Sena leader Shinde became Maharashtra chief minister after parting ways with Uddhav Thackeray and forming an alliance with the BJP.
The Election Commission of India has since recognised the Shinde faction as officially representing the Shiv Sena while the Thackeray-led faction has been using the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) name.
The Shiromani Akali Dal chief also asserted that no Delhi-based party can be trusted with votes.
"Bhagwant Mann has opened channels with both the BJP and the Congress to hedge his bet. While he has an informal understanding with the BJP, he has also aligned with the Congress in Punjab and is putting up a friendly fight in most constituencies," Badal said.
He cited how AAP is contesting against the Congress in Punjab but Mann has been campaigning for the grand old party in Chandigarh and Haryana.
AAP and the Congress are constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc. While the two parties are contesting the Lok Sabha elections independently in Punjab, they have an alliance in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana and Chandigarh.
Urging Punjabis to "seal the borders" for all Delhi-based parties, Badal said, "The AAP government in Punjab and the Union government colluded to prevent our farmers from marching to Delhi. This led to firing of tear gas shells at our farmers and even firing of rubber bullets. Now it is your turn to seal the borders of Punjab with your votes."
He also made a case for trusting the Shiromani Akali Dal -- a home-grown party of Punjab.
Badal said the Shiromani Akali Dal has always stood for safeguarding the interests of Punjab and decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections alone when it became clear that the BJP was not ready to resolve any of the pending grievances of the farmers or the Sikh community.
He also announced that once the Shiromani Akali Dal is elected to power, it will release tubewell connections to all agriculturists who do not have a single connection in their name.
He also promised that all social welfare schemes that have been curtailed by successive Congress and AAP governments would be revived in totality.
