
India’s star Jasprit Bumrah has taken a dig at his critics after he clinched the top spot in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test bowlers rankings on Wednesday (Feb 7). Bumrah, who had a tough last couple of years with injuries, played a crucial role in India’s win over England in the second Test match against England in the ongoing five-match series. Bumrah scalped nine wickets in the second Test match and has been India’s top asset despite missing the services of Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami in the Vizag Test.
In an Instagram story posted after achieving top spot in the Test bowler’s ranking, Bumrah pointed out on lack of support. In the story with two different captions, he indicated a lack of support with a sole supporter in the stadium while indicating the happy times with a stadium full of fans and congratulations. The Indian speedster's Instagram story was a shot at critics who did not support him and had taken a dig while he was nursing an injury for a long time in 2022 and 2023.
In 2022, Bumrah missed the T20 World Cup due to a shoulder issue and was out of action during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). Bumrah’s absence was a major miss for the national team as they lacked his experience in crucial matches.
Bumrah returned to action during the Ireland tour last year after serving a long time on the treatment table. After returning to full fitness ahead of the ODI World Cup, he was one of the first names on the team sheet before Mohammed Shami became the ace bowler with his match-winning spells.
So far in the ongoing Test series against England, he has scalped 15 wickets making him India’s main frontline bowler in the absence of Shami. His spell of 45/6 in the first innings of the Vizag Test set the tone for India’s win against England.
The win in Vizag also saw India level the series at 1-1 having earlier lost the first Test in Hyderabad by 28 runs. The two teams will next meet on Thursday (Feb 15) in the third Test in Rajkot with Mohammed Siraj also likely to make his return to the side.