Injury drama: Bumrah leaves SCG with ambulance in tow

India have given no guarantee that Jasprit Bumrah will bowl on Sunday in the final innings of the fifth Test at the SCG as Australian coach Andrew McDonald called out the tourists for “intimidating” teenager Sam Konstas while batting on day one.

Bumrah’s fitness is under a cloud heading into the final chapter of a thrilling Border-Gavaskar series, but a swashbuckling innings from Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant helped revive the tourists on a seesawing day two in Sydney.

Bumrah, the most influential fast bowler of the series with 32 wickets at an average of 13.1, left the SCG for scans midway through the middle session on day two. India said Bumrah is battling back spasms and would take medical guidance on whether he would bowl if required on day three.

“He had a back spasm. He has gone for scans. The medical team is monitoring it,” Indian pace bowler Prasidh Krishna said after a day when 15 wickets fell.

India were reeling at 3-59 in their second innings when Virat Kohli (6) perished – in probably his final Test appearance in Australia – before a potentially series-defining, counter-attacking cameo from Pant (61 off 33 balls) lifted the visitors to 6-141 at stumps.

Only five teams in history, all Australian, have chased more than 200 to win a Test in the fourth innings at the SCG.

Scott Boland’s 4-42 off 13 overs in the second innings was a masterclass in accurate fast bowling as India’s batters struggled to take the game away from Australia.

Leading Australia by 145 runs in a Test that is now likely to finish on day three, India would still be confident they can secure victory and, with it, a 2-2 series draw that would enable them to keep the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

There has been no shortage of tension in this series, highlighted on day one by Bumrah and Kohli getting in the face of Konstas, at the non-striker’s end, when Usman Khawaja was dismissed on the final ball of play.

Words were also directed at Konstas when he was out for 23, caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal in the slips by Mohammed Siraj.

The fact no Indian players were spoken to by match referee Andy Pycroft was questioned by McDonald at a post-play press conference.

“My conversation to [Konstas] was just around whether he’s okay,” McDonald said. “Clearly the way that India celebrated, it was quite intimidating. It’s clearly within the laws of the game, within the rules and regulations, so there’s been no charges. To have an opposition swarm the non-striker like that, we’ve got a duty of care to make sure he’s OK and in a headspace to go out the next day and perform.

“It’s clear that it’s acceptable because there were no fines or punishment.”

Asked if India overstepped the mark, McDonald said: “I’ll leave that up to the ICC and obviously Andy Pycroft being the match referee and the umpires out there. If they thought it was satisfactory, that’s the benchmark I suppose we’re playing.”

Australia’s total of 181, four fewer than India’s first-innings score, was their lowest at the SCG since they crumbled to all out 127 against Pakistan in 2010. It was also the team’s lowest score against India in Sydney since the 131 they made in January 1978.

Beau Webster’s composed knock of 57 pulled Australia out of a hole after slipping to 4-39, but it was the conspicuous absence of Bumrah that was the biggest talking point among the majority of the 47,257 fans at the SCG constantly checking their phones for updates.

Broadcast cameras filmed Bumrah getting into a team vehicle, not wearing his whites, and leaving the SCG as his teammates pushed for wickets in Australia’s first innings. Bumrah’s car was accompanied by an ambulance as it left Moore Park.

Bumrah returned figures of 2-33 from 10 overs in Australia’s first innings. He has bowled 152 overs across five Tests in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, the most of any Indian bowler.

From 44 Tests, Bumrah has never bowled more than the 53.2 overs he sent down in Melbourne during the fourth Test. This is also the first time Bumrah has played in all five matches of a five-Test series, raising questions whether India tried to get too much out of their firebrand quick.

Siraj (3-51) and Prasidh Krishna (3-42) certainly have what it takes to ask questions of Australia’s batsmen in the fourth innings but no Bumrah is undoubtedly a psychological edge for Pat Cummins’ men.

Earlier in the day, Konstas couldn’t get going, Steve Smith (33) fell five runs short of 10,000 Test runs, while Webster produced the best debut innings by an Australian No.6 since Marcus North made 117 against South Africa in 2009. He did not look out of place and was warmly embraced by the SCG crowd. “We felt it was the right decision [to pick Webster over Marsh],” McDonald said. “Incredibly happy for him.”

Pant’s 50 came off 29 balls – one ball slower than his half-century against Sri Lanka in 2022 – in a superb display of power-hitting. The highlight was back-to-back sixes off Mitchell Starc to the western side of the ground.

Whether Bumrah bowls or not, Australia have their eyes firmly on the trophy.

“You’d say it will be slightly beneficial for us [if Bumrah doesn’t bowl]. He’s an incredibly talented bowler,” McDonald said.

“We’ll respond to what they give us. We’ve still got four wickets to get. We’re here to win a series. Would we get great satisfaction beating India? Yes.”

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