Gargi Raut in Manchester
India’s bowling attack has once again come under the spotlight ahead of the fourth Test against England, with injuries, rotation plans, and workload concerns leaving the lineup wide open.
In the first Test at Leeds, India suffered a disappointing five-wicket loss. The major concern was the bowling unit. Jasprit Bumrah stood out as the lone performer, picking up a five-for in the first innings. Mohammad Siraj played second fiddle but didn’t leave a strong impact. Prasidh Krishna lacked consistency and turned out to be the most expensive bowler. India also dropped crucial catches and, more importantly, failed to take 20 wickets. That raised serious questions about whether this attack had the firepower to deliver in English conditions.
Things changed dramatically in the second Test. With Bumrah rested, the anxiety and concern only grew. But India responded with a statement win at Birmingham, breaching fortress Edgbaston. The bowling attack featured Siraj, Prasidh, Akashdeep, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Akashdeep was a revelation, taking 10 wickets on debut. Siraj backed it up with 7 of his own. The bowlers came together beautifully, securing a memorable win on a ground where India had never succeeded previously.
That performance proved that India could compete even without their frontline, premier pacer. For the first time in the series, or for the first time in a long while, the pace attack looked complete. Siraj and Akashdeep brought in energy, accuracy and a sense of control, while Jadeja and Sundar offered stability and options in the middle overs. It gave the team a balanced and well-rounded look.
In the third Test, the bowlers once again held their own. Bumrah returned and brought intensity. Siraj remained consistent. Akashdeep continued to trouble the English batters with movement. Nitesh Kumar Reddy contributed with key breakthroughs, while Washington Sundar was effective in both departments, with the bat and the ball. Though India lost the game, they pushed England deep into Day 5, showing that the fight was still very much alive.
Then came the setbacks. First, it was Akashdeep who picked up a groin injury during the Lord’s Test and had to leave the field. Then it was Arshdeep Singh who suffered a cut on his finger while training at Beckenham and has now been ruled out of the fourth Test. To add to the injury concerns, even Rishabh Pant is nursing an index finger injury that he sustained at Lord’s, which then forced a change as Dhruv Jurel kept the wicket for India in the last two days of the match.
The questions now arise. With Siraj having bowled close to 110 overs in the series, the team might consider managing his workload. Bumrah is expected to play at Old Trafford but could be rotated out for the final Test at the Oval. If Akashdeep remains unavailable, will India hand a debut to Anshul Kamboj in such a high-pressure game? Or turn back to Prasidh?
Shardul Thakur could be a straight swap for Nitish, but what happens when both Akashdeep and Bumrah are not playing? Will India go with Anshul and Prasidh? What are the chances of Akashdeep recovering in time for the Test match? What will the bowling combination look like now?
Suddenly, the Indian bowling attack looks open-ended once again. And what looked like an issue that India had bowled over, seems to be walking in for another innings.
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