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Hindustan Times
19 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Not everyone is an admirer of Bumrah's availability algorithm
A disclaimer to open — this is not a roast of Jasprit Bumrah or a slur on his achievements or his abilities. Bumrah is one of Indian cricket's modern greats, a tri-format giant, with an impressive haul of wickets, from a superb set of performances leading to a superb set of numbers. Over 2024-25, Bumrah was outstanding in a largely un-outstanding BGT series for India. He is an self-starter elite sportsman, the thinking man's fast bowler, a jewel of the Indian game etcetc. Jasprit Bumrah smiles as he celebrates the dismissal of England's Jamie Smith on the third day of fourth Test. (AP) Acknowledged, no? Properly respectful and all? What's happening around Bumrah now though is a tug-of-war of brand persona and performance impact from the recently concluded England v India Test series. Bumrah produced two impressive first-innings fifers in it but without his usual sledgehammer impact. His series concluded with 14 wickets in 119 overs @25 econ 3.04. His work-load management mismatch – India winning the two Tests he skipped for fear of aggravating back strain – has caused a social media sniper exchange with BCCI's timed leaks about its future strictness against 'picking and choosing.' The science first. The latest studies, circa 2022, around lumbar stress fracture in elite cricket fast bowlers present a range of bone-density readings on specific spinal regions, that bowlers like Bumrah – and his medical team - are required to keep tabs on, following Bumrah's back surgery in 2023. In this series, Bumrah was handled as carefully as possible and the questions raised are cricketing, with no prior knowledge of his latest medical reports. In Leeds, with England chased 373 to win in the second innings, Bumrah bowled more overs than the other quicks – 19 to Mohammed Siraj's 14. The English batters chose, as Ben Duckett said, to 'limit his (Bumrah's) impact' by opting to bat conservatively against him. Bumrah bowled in short spells, the longest four overs. His last over in Leeds was the 65th of the innings, England 286-4, trailing by 81. After the match, criticism of the profligacy of the other Indian bowlers occupied more attention and sidestepped the question of whether their No.1 bowler could have bowled more. Bumrah was not going to play in the second Test a few days later, anyway. Surely captain Shubman Gill did not lose track of who was available in his final roll of the dice? Surely Bumrah wanted to grab the ball from Gill's hand and take a shot? There is no explanation why he did not or was not bowled on the evening of June 24 when the Lord's Test began on July 10. After Leeds, it was soundly being argued that at 0-1 down – with Edgbaston only beginning on July 2 – playing Bumrah would give India a better shot at 1-1. Rather than face 0-2 at Lord's when Bumrah returned. However, what if the bone density readings recommended rest. Fine. The Headingley euphoria sidestepped the question about Bumrah's availability. The series had many examples of players putting their body on the line. Ben Stokes bowled himself to a standstill and a grade three muscle tear. What Rishabh Pant (broken foot) or Shoaib Bashir (broken finger) or Chris Woakes (dislocated shoulder) chose to do regardless of how that would impact them later. Muscle tears and fractures are not the same as spinal stress fractures. The question of putting career at long-term risk over short-term team gain is only answered by the players' individual view of his situation. Then came the Oval release. At 3.10pm on August 1, just before the start of day two of the final Test, the BCCI's X handle posted that Bumrah had been 'released' from the squad. 'Released' means a cricketer can leave the venue. At the Oval, Bumrah was not seen anywhere on TV unlike previously. He may have been addressing medical issues but we don't know. 'Released' meant taking the choice to step away from his junior teammates, who would have lapped up 'Jassi bhai's' advice on lengths, lines and the various ticks and tells of the English batters in the most bowler-friendly conditions of the series. Mentor in the backroom instead of magician on the field. An image suddenly popped up. Photos of Anil Kumble, arm in sling, after shoulder surgery, at the India camp in Chennai before the start of the 2001 India-Australia series, working with the bowlers. It was Kumble and his mates, Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad who first banded the bowlers together into a tight unit. Their idea was to be senior buddies, counsellors and gurus of the kind they had not found when they came into the Indian team in the Kapil Dev era. India's bowling brotherhood, set up by Kumble & Co in the early 2000s, has kept paying forward – Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Irfan Pathan,nIshant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and then onto Bumrah himself. The Oval 'release' doesn't automatically mean Bumrah sees himself as a cut above his peers. Or indeed that he hollers at his juniors frustrated at their over-dependence on his wicket-taking. But to disengage from a young pack growing in strength and confidence is to deprive himself of their energy, joy and camaraderie. His availability algorithm has also quelled the possibility of Captain Bumrah even before the ascent of Gill. A Test captain only available for three Tests across a staggered random time-line is undesirable and unfeasible. One clear misstep has also taken place in Bumrah's name. After the series, the first visual of five on Bumrah's Instagram post of Tuesday features him back to camera with words: 'We take back great memories from a highly competitive and enthralling Test series. Looking forward to what's next'. While trying to put persona and performance in lockstep, Bumrah's management team's first choice in Instagram is a solo shot of a cricketer who didn't have the most important role to play in that come-from-behind series result. That's like an over-eager photo bomb.
Hindustan Times
20 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
ISL clubs ask AIFF to urgently seek SC help
Kolkata: Eleven Indian Super League (ISL) clubs asked All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Friday to apprise the Supreme Court about the uncertainty around India's top men's league and said they were surprised it had not been done yet. AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said the federation will seek legal opinion. President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Kalyan Chaubey, speaks during a press conference on Thursday. (AFP) A joint letter from the clubs to Chaubey said AIFF should 'urgently' inform the Supreme Court about the irreversible damage that threatens Indian football because of the legal uncertainty and administrative vacuum caused by an observation from the court that no major decision can be taken till its verdict is announced. If AIFF does not, the clubs would, independently. ISL double winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal are not among the signatories. HT has seen the letter. The club have said that as AIFF is the 'statutory regulator of football in India' and the 'principal party to the proceedings' in the Supreme Court, it can by 'mentioning the matter for urgent listing and apprising the Hon'ble Court of the current situation' ensure that 'ISL and associated competitions may proceed.' 'We believe such a step is both legally permissible and in the interest of safeguarding football, the AIFF's own regulatory mandate, and the welfare of all stakeholders involved,' the letter states. 'We are, in fact, somewhat surprised that the matter has not already been brought to the Court's attention, given its gravity and implications for the sport,' the clubs have written. ISL clubs, as per the letter, do not want to independently approach the Supreme Court because they are not a party in the case about the AIFF's constitution. But they will if needed. 'Should AIFF choose not to act, we reiterate that the ISL clubs will have no option but to seek judicial recourse independently, to protect the integrity of the League and the interests of the sport,' the letter says. The letter was sent one day after AIFF and its commercial partners met with representatives of all ISL clubs. After the meeting, Chaubey said at a press conference that the league will happen this season though it could be delayed because the matter is in court. AIFF proposed the season starts with its cup competition, Super Cup, next month. 'I have received the letter and AIFF will seek legal opinion on this,' said Chaubey over the phone from New Delhi. 'AIFF will support the clubs if they move to the Supreme Court for an early order or interim relief.' Chaubey said AIFF was concerned that the uncertainty over the league had led to people being laid off and salaries stopped at clubs. 'I am told that nearly 5000 families are affected directly or indirectly. AIFF will do everything possible in its constitutional capacity to help.' Lack of clarity on the 2025-26 ISL season stems from negotiations on a new agreement between AIFF and its commercial partners being suspended following an oral observation by the Supreme Court in April that no major decisions be taken till a final order is passed in the case on the AIFF's constitution. The existing 15-year agreement ends on December 8, 2025. And since that would be one-third into an ISL season, the commercial partners are not keen on starting the 2025-26 edition till discussion on a future agreement remains inconclusive, they said in July.
NDTV
20 minutes ago
- NDTV
"When There's Been A Challenge...": Ex-India Star's No-Nonsense Verdict On Shubman Gill
Former Indian wicket-keeper batter Parthiv Patel hailed Indian Test skipper Shubman Gill for answering all the critics with a record-breaking performance during the England tour, which ended in a well-fought 2-2 draw. During the five-match series, Gill scored a massive 754 runs at an average of 75.40, with four centuries and a career best score of 269. He outbatted the other players by miles, with his best outing being at Birmingham, when he scored 269 and 161 across both innings. Gill had headed into the series with sub-par numbers outside Asia, having not breached the 40-run mark since his iconic 91-run knock against Australia at Brisbane in 2021, despite getting some solid starts. Speaking on 'Follow The Blues', the JioStar expert Parthiv said, "Four centuries, an average of 75.40, and more than 750 runs -- all scored across different conditions. Earlier, when he walked out to bat, there were questions: Will he be able to perform in the SENA countries? Can he deliver consistently? But look at the answers he has given. 147 runs in the first innings at Headingley. In the second innings, people said he threw his wicket away after that big score." "Then came 269 runs in the first innings at Edgbaston. Again, the talk was that it might prove to be less, but he followed it up with 161 in the second innings. In the third Test, he got out early in both innings, and questions about his form began again, even though he had already scored 430 runs in the previous match. And then came that hundred in Manchester, in a match India needed to draw. Whenever there's been a challenge, whenever questions have been asked, Gill has answered them perfectly with his bat," he added. This is the second-best amount of runs by an Indian in a Test series (at the top being Gavaskar with 774 runs against West Indies in 1971). Also, after Don Bradman's 810 runs against England in 1936/37, this was the second-highest runs by a captain in a Test series. He also overtook his contemporary Yashasvi Jaiswal's 712 run tally from last year to have the most runs by an Indian against England in a series. Gill also outclassed his idol Virat Kohli, securing the most successful South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia (SENA) tour by an Indian batter. Previously, Virat held this record, having smashed 692 runs in four Tests with four centuries against Australia way back in 2014, when the Delhi-born batter had a first brush up with captaincy. The Indian skipper also crossed the 6,000 run mark in international cricket at the end of the series. By the end of the series, his international statistics stand at 6,000 runs in 118 matches at an average of 46.15, with 18 centuries and 25 fifties. In Tests, he has 2,615 runs at an average of 41.35 in 37 Tests and 69 innings, with nine centuries and seven fifties.
