The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Tuesday that Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against India due to a minor stress fracture in his lower back. Umesh Yadav has been named as his replacement.
According to a statement from the BCCI, the injury was detected during a ‘routine radiological screening’. Bumrah’s rehabilitation will now begin at the NCA in Bangalore where he will be monitored by the BCCI Medical Team.
Bumrah’s injury means he will have to wait to play his first Test at home. He has picked up 62 wickets in 12 Tests, all of which have been in away conditions.
He was seen in red-hot form during the Test series in West Indies. He picked up 13 wickets in two Tests, which included two five-wicket hauls and a hat-trick as well.
But Umesh Yadav also deserved this call-up. He has 40 wickets in home Tests at an average of 22.62 since the start of 2017. Umesh even picked up 10 wickets in his last Test match at home against West Indies in October 2018.
However, he has featured in just one Test, which came in Australia, since then as Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami have been the preferred choices over him. Now that he has got an opportunity, he would be eager to prove his worth.
The first Test of the three-match series will start on October 2 at Visakhapatnam.