'Selectors didn't pay attention to the current form; went on with reputation' - Saba Karim questions Jasprit Bumrah's WTC final selection

The inaugural edition of the World Test Championship didn’t end on a good note for the Indian team as they lost the final to New Zealand by eight wickets. One of the biggest disappointments for India during the showpiece event was the poor performance delivered by India’s ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah.

India was expecting a spectacular performance from Bumrah as the pitches in England have the reputation of providing assistance to the pacers. However, the Ahmedabad-born wasn’t at his fluent best in the WTC final as he was the only Indian bowler to pick any wicket across both the innings.

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman and national selector Saba Karim opened up on Bumrah’s below-average performance saying that the Indian team management picked the seamer due to his reputation. Karim believes that the right-hander didn’t deserve a place in the playing XI as he is going through a lean patch in his career and didn’t play much red-ball cricket.

“I feel the selectors did not pay attention to the current form and went on with reputation to a certain extent. Jasprit Bumrah has not played red-ball cricket since he got injured in Australia,” Karim told India News.

“He has only played white-ball cricket and that too only the T20s. He did not play in the home series against England. I felt he was woefully out of form and along with that out of practice if we talk about red-ball cricket,” added Bumrah.

Jasprit Bumrah couldn’t catch the length that is required: Saba Karim 

While pointing at Bumrah’s poor form, Karim made a blunder by saying that Bumrah hasn’t featured in red-ball cricket since India tour of Australia. Notably, the speed merchant played the first Test of the four-match series between England and India in Chennai. Playing on the pitch that assisted the spinners, Bumrah returned with four wickets.

Further in the interaction, Saba Karim acknowledged that Bumrah was returning back in rhythm during the second innings. The pacer was almost successful in picking his first wicket of the day in the form of Ross Taylor during the last innings, however Cheteshwar Pujara dropped the catch.

“To a certain extent, I felt he was getting back his rhythm in the second innings spell he bowled; he was also unlucky at times. But in the end, he couldn’t catch the length that is required in red-ball cricket, especially in conducive conditions, in the entire Test match. I feel this is a very big area of concern and it is required to rectify this in the upcoming series,” said Karim.