Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s exclusion from the Indian squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The five-Test series against England came as a surprise to many. However, those in the know of things say that the pacer has lost the ‘drive’ to play the longest format and now prefers only T20 cricket.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar last played a Test against South Africa in January 2018. Although a spate of injuries kept him out of the next many Tests. The England tour seemed like a tailor-made opportunity for his return to the red-ball fold.
“I was unfit for a very long time, it’s on my mind that the England tour and a few important series are coming up so I will try to stay fit. I have not ruled out red-ball cricket. My preparation would also keep the red-ball format in mind. It is a different matter as to what happens in Test selection. Workload management in IPL would keep red-ball cricket in mind. I want to play Tests, so I will try to stay ready for the longest format,” he had said then.
The Uttar Pradesh pacer was excluded from the Test tour of the UK – which comprises the World Test Championship final versus. New Zealand followed by the 5-Test series against England – a source close to the tracking of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He has said that the seamer has lost the zeal to play in the longest format.
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“To be honest, the selectors don’t even see Bhuvi hungry for 10 overs, forget Test cricket. It’s Team India’s loss no doubt because if one bowler should have made it to England it should have been him,” the source added.
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In England, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has played five Tests and picked up 19 wickets which include a sensational six for 82 at Lord’s in 2014.
This would come as a major setback for the BCCI as Bhuvneshwar Kumar was considered one of the best pacers in the country. It would be interesting to see if BCCI can convince Bhuvneshwar to play red-ball cricket.
