"He was used like you squeezed juice from sugarcane" - Indian spin legend lashes out at poor management of star player during BGT 2024-25

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh slammed the team management for mishandling ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah's workload during the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Despite India suffering a 1-3 series defeat, Bumrah was at his heroic best with the ball, leading all bowlers in wickets with 32 at an average of 13.06.

However, bowling long spells in most of the matches due to a lack of solid support meant Bumrah suffered a back injury and missed the second innings in the final Test at Sydney. It led to Australia comfortably chasing down 162 on Day 3 of the Sydney Test to clinch a 3-1 series win.

Bumrah bowled more than 151 overs during the series and that led to his possible breakdown in the end.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan said [via India Today]:

"He was used like you squeezed juice from sugarcane. It was like ‘Travis Head has come, give the ball to Bumrah, Marnus has come, give the ball to Bumrah, Steve Smith has come, give the ball to Bumrah’. How many overs will Bumrah bowl? He has been reduced to such a condition that he was not available at the end."

He added:

"If he was there, Australia may have won the fifth Test but they would have lost eight wickets, it would have been tough for them. You broke his back and the management should have decided on how many overs he should be given."

Bumrah had to especially toil hard in the fourth Test at Melbourne, bowling more than 53 overs across the two innings as India attempted to pull off a miraculous victory.

Nevertheless, he was awarded the Player of the Series for his incredible bowling throughout even as India surrendered the series.

"The team selection was not right" - Harbhajan Singh

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: JAN 03 fifth NRMA Insurance Test - Source: Getty

Harbhajan Singh also blasted India's selection of two spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, on a green-top at Sydney.

With the Sydney pitch completely in favor of the pacers, the two spinners combined to bowl only four overs across the two innings.

"The team selection was not right. Two spinners were played on a spicy pitch, you saw green patches. It is beyond my understanding that despite playing so much cricket and watching so much cricket you do not understand such a small thing... what to do on such pitch," said Harbhajan.

The move ultimately proved costly with Bumrah's injury as India were left with only two specialist pacers, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, and the part-time option of Nitish Kumar Reddy in their defense of 162 in the final innings.