Legendary Australia seamer Glenn McGrath feels Jasprit Bumrah needs to be smart about his game as he’s not getting any younger. The India fast bowler has been out of action since January due to a lower back injury he sustained during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney.
Bumrah has been injury prone ever since the beginning of his international career in 2016 as he’s missed several crucial series and tournaments for India. There’s still no confirmation of his return to cricket pitch as he’s likely to miss first few games of the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) as well.
Recently, McGrath spoke about Bumrah’s injury and said that he puts a lot more pressure on his body than other fast bowlers. The Australian seamer advised him to be smart about his game as he’s not getting any younger.
“He puts more stress on his body than the other bowlers. He has found ways to manage it, but unfortunately not all the time. He has done it before (making a comeback from injury), he will know better than anyone (about) the recovery time, the time in the gym. He is not as young as he used to be, so he has to be smarter about what he does,” McGrath told Times of India.
Furthermore, McGrath threw light on the importance of off-field routine for Bumrah for his recovery.
“He has to work even harder off the field. Being a fast bowler is like driving a car. If you do not top it up with fuel, you are going to run out of fuel sooner or later. My fuel tank was bigger than Jasprit’s because I did not bowl as quickly as him. These guys know how they work at their best. If India are under the pump, they need him,” he added.
India will desperately require Bumrah’s services on the England tour later this year set to begin from June 20. The speedster has scalped 37 wickets in England from 17 innings and will be once again expected to play a crucial role in the all-important five-match Test series.
