Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has caused a stir among fans and cricket circles by hinting at his retirement from Test cricket.
Jasprit Bumrah showed a brilliant performance on the second day of the ongoing third Test against England at the historic ground of Lord’s, taking five wickets for 74 runs and destroying England’s middle order, not only giving India control of the match again but also getting his name inscribed on the Lord’s honorary board for the first time.
However, what caught everyone’s attention more than this performance was Bumrah’s unusually quiet celebration. Bumrah, who usually celebrates enthusiastically after taking a wicket, this time after taking the fifth wicket, simply walked back to his mark without any joy, no smile, no expression of joy.
Bumrah’s quiet celebration at Lord’s sparked a debate on social media that perhaps Bumrah is hinting at his retirement from Test cricket. Taking these wickets was also special for Bumrah because it was the 15th five-wicket haul of his Test career and he also broke the legendary Kapil Dev’s record for taking five-wicket hauls on foreign soil.
However, at the end of the day, Bumrah revealed this secret in the press conference, saying, “The truth is that I was tired, it was not a matter of happiness or sadness. I was tired after a long spell, now I am not 21 or 22 years old to jump and take wickets. I was happy that I performed for the team, I was just preparing to bowl the next ball.”
This statement by Bumrah indicates that Test cricket is taking its toll on his body and he may move towards a big decision in the near future, just like Virat Kohli suddenly gave up the Test captaincy.
Bumrah’s brilliant comeback at Lord’s also proved why he is India’s best fast bowler. With his lightning pace, swing and accuracy, he constantly troubled the English batsmen, the best example of which was his delivery that blew away Joe Root’s stumps. Bumrah has dismissed Joe Root for the 11th time in Test cricket.
These five wickets are Bumrah’s second consecutive five-wicket haul in this series, earlier he had taken five wickets in the Leeds Test and after resting in the Edgbaston Test, he is now making a brilliant comeback in the third Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test, playing a key role in leading India to victory.