THE moment cricket fans, experts and critics were waiting for finally came in Ireland when Jasprit Bumrah stepped on the field after 10 months and 23 days. The comeback suited his aura as the slinger from Gujarat snapped two wickets in the very first over and guided India to victory as captain of the Twenty20 team. With his return, Bumrah has almost filled the missing piece in the equation that India would need to regain the 50-over World Cup. The journey ahead would be interesting as he has come back with nuanced changes in bowling style and a protective mechanism against injuries that kept him out of major tournaments. Though the Ireland T20s cannot be a parameter for success, the brief series gives Bumrah a fine testing ground.

 

He looked absolutely right with his action and is likely to improve on it in coming days. It would be the best news for the team management which seeks a lynchpin to the bowling attack, especially in white-ball cricket. Recent results have yet again showed that India need a spearhead who could rattle the opposition at any stage of the game with his class and guile. Bumrah certainly fits the bill, if his previous exploits are taken as a benchmark. He was a go-to bowler for the captain and the void created by his absence has clearly not been filled. This situation brings a double challenge for the ace pacer as it can spur him to regain his numero uno position or can cower him down with huge expectations. That makes the next two months quite interesting for Bumrah and fans of Indian cricket. The newest Indian skipper has shrugged off the pressure that comes from expectations before making his comeback. Bumrah has spelt it out in clear terms that what people and team management are expecting from his is their problem, not his. He only has to give his honest efforts in service of the team.

 

This goal is always easier said than done when it comes to international cricket. Things get all the more complicated when it comes to the Indian team. Many stalwarts have faced the heat when luck deserted them on the field and fans and pundits immediately took out the knife for their scalp. One bad outing and Bumrah’s return will be questioned with venomous brutality on every available platform. Keeping himself insulated if things pan in undesired direction will be imperative for Bumrah for the sake of his bright career. Already, there have been questions about the previous decisions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) when they named Bumrah in the squad but later withdrew him over lack of fitness. It raised questions over the rehabilitation mechanism at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Bumrah has now settled the question of fitness with a fine outing. All he needs to do it now is to sustain the rigours of international cricket before leading India’s attack in the World Cup.