'McGrath advises caution as Indian pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, faces injury setbacks: A lesson in smart pacing'

During the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, the 31-year-old player suffered a back injury which prevented him from bowling for India in the second innings at SCG. Australia went on to win the match, reclaiming the coveted trophy after a ten-year wait.

McGrath asserted that Bumrah had found ways to manage the stress he has put on his body in the past few occasions, but he still needs to be smarter to avoid the persistent injuries.

“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.

McGrath further elaborated and compared fast bowling to driving a car and said Bumrah needs to fuel up by working harder off the field.

“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.

Bumrah likely to miss initial phase of IPL 2025

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old is likely to miss the initial rounds of the IPL 2025 matches for Mumbai Indians as the star pacer is still recovering from the lower back injury. In Burmah’s absence, the Hardik Pandya-led side will rely on other pacers like Trent Boult, Corbin Bosch and Deepak Chahar to deliver till he returns. The five-time champions will start their 2025 campaign against rivals Chennai Super Kings on March 23 at Chepauk Stadium.

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