Focus on returning Bumrah's progress

INDIA'S Asia Cup opener against Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday was Jasprit Bumrah's first ODI since July 14, 2022. Overcast conditions with intermittent rain and drizzle had tilted the balance in favour of pacers including Bumrah. The Pakistan pace troika of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah made full use of the conditions by sharing all the ten Indian wickets among themselves in the first innings.

- FIROZ MIRZA

India pacer Bumrah, who underwent a back surgery in March this year, too would have been raring to go with the ball after his little cameo with the willow (16 runs off 14 balls) when the clouds opened up as soon as India were bowled out. Unfortunately, the match never resumed with Bumrah not bowling a single ball in the match.

As he has flown back home from Colombo due to personal reasons, the pacer is set to miss India's match against Nepal, rain permitting, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Notably, he marked his international return last month after almost a year when he captained the Indian team in the T20I series against Ireland. But the match against Pakistan was supposed to be his first in the ODI format, which takes precedence over the T20s with the ICC World Cup commencing in India from October 5.