ENG vs IND | ‘I played for India on my belief’ - Jasprit Bumrah ignores talks about injury concerns

‌Jasprit Bumrah marked his return from injury in Tests with yet another scintillating display helping India get a slender lead of six runs in the first innings of the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds on Sunday. The pacer picked up his 14th five-wicket haul with figures of 5/83 in his first Test match after suffering a stress reaction to his back during the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in January.

Bumrah once again showed why he is the most sought-after bowler across formats with the new Indian skipper Shubman Gill going back to his strike bowler every time the team was in search of wickets. And he didn’t disappoint with yet another memorable spell that saved the day for the visitors. With that, he also silenced the critics who were vocal about his effectiveness once he returned from his layoff.

"I can't control what people write," Bumrah said. Everybody is free to write what they want. I understand cricket is very popular in our country, and I understand that using my name in the headline boosts the viewership. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter to me. Because if I let it get into my head, I will start believing it. I need my beliefs and my ways to dictate how I go. Not the way others want me to play.

"I always wanted to play for India. I played for India on my belief. I have always heard 'no' from people. First, they said 'you won't be able to play'; then they said 'you will last only six months'; and just like that, I have spent ten years in international cricket listening to all this.

"Even now people keep saying this injury will be it. Keep waiting, I will not think about that. I will keep doing my work. Every three-four months there will be headlines but, let's see, I will play till it is in my destiny. I prepare my best and leave the rest to god. Whatever barkat [abundance or good fortune] god has given me, I try to carry it forward, and try to take Indian cricket forward."

With Bumrah’s workload management not allowing him to be part of all five Test matches of the ongoing England series, there has been a lot of talk about which of the matches he will be featuring in after the first Test. But the pacer has done well to stay in the present and not lose focus thinking about the remainder of the series.

"You don't look at what is going to happen in the future," Bumrah said. "You are there in the ground at that moment. You have to do a job. So at that moment, I'm trying to assess the wicket. I'm trying to assess what is happening, what are my options, how is the wicket behaving, who is the batter there, what is he thinking, how do I outsmart him or what do I do?

I look at all of those things at that moment. I was not thinking about what will happen or how many games I will play. At this moment, focusing on the Test match. When the match is over, think about all these permutations and combinations. I ask myself this question at night, did I give my absolute best? If the answer is yes, I will quietly go to sleep," Bumrah concluded.