Jasprit Bumrah Gives Update On Mohammed Siraj’s Fitness Ahead Of South Africa ODIs

India’s ODI vice-captain for the upcoming three-match series against South Africa, Jasprit Bumrah gave an update about pacer Mohammed Siraj’s fitness. Siraj had suffered a hamstring injury during the second Test match between India and South Africa in Johannesburg and missed the third match in Cape Town.

Siraj had been the first pick pacer over Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav in the first two Test matches and though he did bowl in the South African second innings despite his injury, his impact was negligible. The Hyderabad-based fast bowler has been named in the ODI series as well and the BCCI had included Navdeep Saini as Siraj’s backup in case he didn’t get fit in time.

Talking about pacer Mohammed Siraj’s fitness, Bumrah said: “I think he is fine, he is practicing with us. I do not see any discomfort, hopefully, that stays that way. Nothing I am aware of right now but everyone seems to be okay. Hopefully, that stays that way.”  

When asked about whether India would look at SA ODIs as preparation for the 2023 World Cup, the pacer said: “There has to be a vision on which direction we want to go in. We will try to give guys an equal opportunity. Every series needs to be given importance and we will keep a vision.”

The three ODIs will be played in Paarl on Jan 19 and 21 and in Cape Town on Jan 23.

For Me, The Role Does Not Change At All: Jasprit Bumrah On His Role As Vice-Captain Of The Team

Bumrah was named the vice-captain of the Indian ODI team for the South African series after KL Rahul was promoted to captain after Rohit Sharma failed to get fit in time and missed the South Africa tour altogether. This is the first time Bumrah has been officially named vice-captain of the side, despite being part of the leadership group for a long time.

“For me, the role does not change at all. I have to do my job and I will be helping KL Rahul as much as I can whenever he needs assistance. Even when I am not the vice-captain, I try to help the younger guys and I have a lot of discussions with them regarding having a particular field,” Bumrah said in a press conference before the ODI series.

When asked about how he would approach the ODIs against South Africa, Bumrah said: “Obviously you have to move forward, it is a different format of the game. The pace of the game changes, the load on the body reduces as well. It is a shorter format at, faster pace. As a bowler, you have to quickly assess and vary your pace accordingly.”

India will look to end the Proteas tour on a good note after losing the Test series 1-2.

Also Read: KL Rahul Would Be My Suggestion For Test Captain – Former Indian Cricketer