Sydney Test: Jasprit Bumrah suffers back spasm as India’s hopes hang by a thread

Sydney: Jasprit Bumrah left the field around 1.20 pm on Day 2 of the SCG Test. He didn’t return, and at 2:10 pm, he left for hospital to undergo scans. He returned later when India had already started their second innings.

Fellow pacer Prasidh Krishna revealed at the end of the day press conference that Bumrah had suffered back spasm and the team’s medical staff was monitoring his condition. Prasidh was told that the final decision on whether to play on Day 3 has been left to the team’s stand-in skipper himself. Much will depend on how he feels after waking up.

Typically, back spasm takes from a few days to a couple of weeks to be resolved, with most people experiencing significant improvement within the first week. India would love nothing more than to have their best bowler on the field, but Bumrah, who underwent back surgery last year, would have to decide whether the risk is worth it.

He is a precious player for India. Bumrah is the most successful bowler in this series – 32 wickets @ 13.06 – and it’s his showing that keeps India’s aspirations of winning the Sydney Test alive.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald felt it would be advantage Australia if Bumrah did not bowl on Sunday when the hosts bat in the second innings.

“He’s the leading wicket-taker in the series, so you’d say that it would be slightly beneficial for us. He can bowl on any surface, anywhere. He’s a threat anytime. We knew that, coming into the series, he’s an incredibly talented bowler,” McDonald told reporters after play.

However, the Aussies will have to keep their nerves. “Low-scoring games like this, it just heightens the pressure within it, so a long way still to go,” he said.