Sun Jan 05 07:03:10 UTC 2025: ## Bumrah’s Back Injury Costs India in Sydney Thriller; Australia Reclaims Border-Gavaskar Trophy

**Sydney, Australia** – India’s star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s back injury overshadowed Australia’s six-wicket victory in the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney. Bumrah, who led India in the match in Rohit Sharma’s absence, revealed he felt discomfort during his second spell on day two, ultimately missing the final innings due to the injury. Despite claiming the Player of the Series award with 32 wickets, Bumrah expressed his disappointment at missing the “spiciest wicket of the series.”

The injury, initially described as back spasms, saw Bumrah briefly hospitalized for scans on day two. Despite briefly appearing at the crease on day three, he didn’t bowl in Australia’s successful chase of 162 runs. Speculation surrounding the injury’s severity, including former Australian captain Ricky Ponting’s suggestion of a possible “smoke screen,” was dismissed by Bumrah’s statement.

Bumrah’s absence significantly impacted India’s performance. Australia bowled out India for 157 runs in just 45 minutes, with Scott Boland taking a match haul of 10 wickets. While Prasidh Krishna provided a brief burst of hope for India, taking three quick wickets, including Steve Smith agonizingly one run short of 10,000 Test runs, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, and Beau Webster guided Australia to victory.

Australia’s win secures them the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and sets them up to defend their World Test Championship title against South Africa at Lord’s in June. Bumrah’s injury serves as a major concern for India heading into future matches, given his history of back problems which included surgery in March 2023.

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