'Courageous' Bumrah Kept Team Ahead Of Himself: Former India Teammate

There are many who questioned Jasprit Bumrah's decision to play only three Tests during the series against England. India won two out of the five Tests in the series, and Bumrah was not part of the XI in either one of those matches. 

However, the pacer has found a huge support in his former teammate Ajinkya Rahane, who believes he put his team ahead of himself by making that call.

“What I liked about Bumrah was that he was pretty clear; he knew what he wanted to do before the series. He said, 'I'll play the first one, I won't play the second one, and then I'll play the third'. Great clarity for a captain. It's always difficult to speak with such clarity to a captain," Rahane said on his YouTube channel, according to NDTV Sports. 

"As a player, when you are playing for India, that's really difficult. Often it happens, some player tells you such things and he gets dropped. It shows that he has the courage to tell the captain and management to be really clear,” 

“It also shows that he is keeping the team ahead of himself. Sometimes it is not easy to do so when you are playing for India. As a player, when you are representing India, it's not easy. Sometimes players convey the same message to the team, and then they get dropped."

Bumrah's decision comes on the back of the back injury he picked up during the Australia Tests, after which he had to go through a lengthy rehabilitation that saw him miss the Champions Trophy as well.

Bumrah picked up 14 wickets in three Tests agianst England, which also included a couple of fifers. It remains unclear whether he would play a part in the upcoming Asia Cup and the home Tests against West Indies in October.