'I'm physically exhausted and mentally drained'- Former India coach shares details of eye-opening conversation with Jasprit Bumrah

Star Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah is out of the action from international cricket even before the 20-20 World Cup 2022. He was also ruled out of the Asia Cup 2022 due to the stress fracture that he sustained at the time of the white-ball series against Australia.

Apart from that, he has never been fully fit for the given assignments to appear in the international games for the Indian team. Meanwhile, the former Indian fielding coach R Sridhar has revealed the conversation between Jasprit Bumrah and then-bowling coach Bharat Arun. This conversation happened between Bumrah and Arun during the Sydney Test between India and Australia in 2019.

It was also the match when the 29-year-old was bowling slowly with his own discretion and he also explained it to the then-bowling coach Bharat Arun.

Here's what Jasprit Bumrah said

“I am very jaded, Sir, physically exhausted and mentally drained," he continued. That's where I am at, personally. There's nothing at stake so far as the series is concerned. The track is docile. It's more or less certain that this game will end in a draw? After this elaborate build-up, the coin finally dropped. So, what I will do, Sir is I'll bowl a little slowly. I won't go flat out. I'll bowl well within myself and take out this Test,” Bumrah has been quoted as saying in former fielding coach R Sridhar’s book ‘Coaching Beyong’.

“Sir, he started, hesitantly, 'The wicket is absolutely placid, and there is nothing in it for the faster bowlers'. One of Arun's many strengths is his willingness to listen. He knew Bumrah wanted to tell him something but was unsure how to go about it. But instead of forcing his hand, Arun allowed things to play out naturally. Bumrah, of course, had been the star of India's win in the previous Test; he had been our best bowler throughout the series, as a matter of fact," added further.