Day 2 of the IND vs ENG fourth Test at Old Trafford came to an end. The Indian bowlers just endured a long shift under typical Manchester sky. Bumrah, of course, was a workhorse but without any reward. He bowled 13 overs and maintained a control rate you always expect from him. The rest? A leaking pipe.
Debutant Anshul Kamboj showed flashes but bled 48 off 10. Siraj was all over the place. Shardul Thakur gifted his five overs to Ben Duckett. You could sense it again. The comfort. The habit. The Thought: “Bring Bumrah.”
The Bumrah Blanket
Since December 2023, India has played 21 Test matches. Jasprit Bumrah has been part of 18 of those. In SENA countries, he has played 10 of 11. He is invariably the first name on the team sheet. And why not? He is the spearhead, the game-changer.
But the bigger concern isn’t just the number of Tests he plays, it’s that when he is out there, everyone else seems to take a backseat.
Let’s just look at this series. Jasprit Bumrah has taken 12 wickets. Siraj has six. Everyone else have added bits and pieces. But remove Bumrah from the XI, and suddenly, the same bowlers turn into match-winners.
Akash Deep took 10 wickets in Birmingham and Wankhede games. Siraj picked up seven in the only Bumrah-less SENA Test this cycle. The numbers flip the moment Bumrah is not around.
When Bumrah is NOT in XI (Since Dec 2023)
- Akash Deep - 15 wickets (3 games)
- Mohd. Siraj - 9 wickets (3 games)
- Prasidh Krishna - 1 wicket (1 game)
When Bumrah is in XI (Since Dec 2023)
- Mohd. Siraj - 45 wickets (16 games)
- Prasidh Krishna - 13 wickets (4 games)
- Akash Deep - 11 wickets (6 games)
Stats Credit: Sudharshan Sridharan
The Burden of Reliability
India has developed a curious dependence on Jasprit Bumrah, not just to lead, but to carry. He is the guy they want with the ball when things go wrong. The go-to in the first hour. The fireman after lunch. The weapon with the second new ball. But here’s what is being overlooked. That over-reliance is hurting India’s pace battery more than helping it.
When Bumrah plays, it almost gives others the license to fade. There is no urgency. No need to bowl those long, hostile spells. No pressure to extract something on a lifeless day. That load automatically shifts onto one man. The pattern is as clear as day - when Bumrah fires, the rest often misfire.
Strangely enough, the opposite has also proven true. Remove Bumrah from the picture, and suddenly the other Indian pacers discover their fire.
India need Bumrah, no doubt, but they also need to stop needing him quite so much.
The onus is on the rest of the bowling group to make sure that the next time Jasprit has an off day or just a wicketless day like at Old Trafford, it doesn’t feel like the end of the world. They have shown they can do it without him, now it’s time to do it with him.
