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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Separate nodal officer in all districts to prevent female foeticides in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (PTI): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.
The minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a "social evil".
He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.
The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council.
"Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening," Rao said.
"Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government," he said.
In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the minister said.
"Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation."
Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.
Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said, the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this.
"Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years....advanced technology and the internet is being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.
We need to look into bringing legislation to control them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented."
The minister also said that measures are also being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.
