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Former India wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik slammed Jasprit Bumrah's critics after the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 was ended in a 2-2 draw after India's narrow win in the fifth Test in London. The pace spearhead has fallen victim to criticism after the pacer missed the fixture at the Oval. The speedster was not included in India's playing XI due to workload management. Meanwhile, some critics have also pointed out that the Shubman Gill-led side won those matches that Bumrah didn’t play in the tour.
Bumrah, who captained India in two Test matches in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2025, played three Tests in England, and there were reports that he sustained a knee injury, which ruled him out of the final Test. But there has been no official confirmation of the injury.
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Cricketer-turned-expert Karthik backed Bumrah and also opened up on the veteran pacer’s importance to the Indian cricket team.
“You have to look at it from Jasprit Bumrah’s point of view. I think that these kinds of wins, the way the series has panned out, the way the young team has fought will actually help him in his career. I believe Jasprit Bumrah will be very proud of this young bowling attack and knowing him, he is not someone who shies away from pressure, big matches. Boss, he is in the ground, as a captain, any big moment, you go to Jasprit Bumrah, you want a wicket, go to Jasprit Bumrah, you want a 5-an over in a T20 match, you go to Jasprit Bumrah. If you are bowling with a bad, old ball which is 25 overs old in a ODI and want a wicket, go to Jasprit Bumrah. That is the name he has earned and he rightly deserves to be called that,” Karthik told Cricbuzz
“Now this stat of when he doesn’t play, India does not win. It’s not his mistake. He is so impactful that others pale in comparison at times which is understandable. He is a world champion. When he finishes cricket, he will be spoken in the same parlance as a Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Dale Steyn. And I hope he will have a longer career knowing that I can pick and choose matches when I feel I am ready because there is no more pressure that I am the only one and at every match, I have to play. And at times, it’s unfair. It’s a body, he knows what he has gone through. 2 back injuries, one nasty ACL he had in 2014. It’s not easy and sometimes I feel we have to cut him some slack as well,” he added.
Bumrah played first, third and fourth Test matches of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, where India lost the first and third and the fourth Test ended in a draw.
Bumrah was among the highest wicket-takers in the England Test series despite playing just three Tests. He picked up 14 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls, he was fourth by higest wicket-taker after Mohammed Siraj (23), Josh Tongue (19), and Ben Stokes (17).
It was decided before the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 that Bumrah would play only three Tests because of workload management, which he was implementing to avoid injuries. After some sensational displays at the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah suffered a back injury and made his cricketing comeback midway through IPL 2025.
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