Should India rest Jasprit Bumrah for the Ranchi Test? Or better still, can India afford to do so? With half the side already out due to injury or for personal reasons, India, all of a sudden, look vulnerable even in home conditions. And if we were to pinpoint one reason as to why and how India were able to make it back in Vizag after the shock defeat in Hyderabad, it was the genius of Bumrah. Not taking anything away from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, but it was Bumrah who was the difference between the two teams. And it is his extraordinary ability that is now at the heart of the debate.
Bumrah isn’t getting any younger. He had a back surgery not too long ago. While it is a medical miracle of sorts that he is back to his best, it is also testament to the resilience and ability he has. Having said that, his body has taken an enormous pounding in the first three Tests. With next to no gap between the Rajkot and Ranchi Tests, the question to ask is whether his body can hold up.
Even a year or two ago, you wouldn’t have had to think before resting a fast bowler in Indian conditions. India had Umesh Yadav, who was always stellar at home, Mohammed Shami, who could create magic in any conditions, and Mohammed Siraj, who had come up the ranks beautifully. Now Shami too is injured, and Umesh and Ishant Sharma are past their prime. Siraj is back, and is the only option available to Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid if India decide to rest Bumrah. With all due respect to Mukesh Kumar, he doesn’t have the pace or the skill to trouble England in home conditions. The fast bowling cupboard, all of a sudden, looks alarmingly bare.
The truth is that even if you want to rest Bumrah, you can’t. Or it is a risk. With no Shami there to take charge, you need Bumrah if you want to stay competitive against a team that is expected to come back hard.
Two years ago, we were all raving about India’s fast bowling depth. Bumrah, Shami, Umesh, Ishant, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna – it seemed like India had turned a corner with the bench strength. Now, they are either injured, have lost steam and are not in the reckoning anymore.
So what happened in the last two years that we are struggling so much with fast-bowling depth?
Needless to say, bowlers win cricket matches, and for some years, India had the bowling to win in any conditions and in any part of the world. Wins in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21, a drawn series in England in 2021-22 and multiple series wins at home were proof of how good India were. With a huge away series in Australia planned for December 2024, one wonders how the Indian bowling will shape up down under against a much-improved Australian batting line-up. The over reliance on Bumrah is a problem, and unless Shami is back to full fitness, it could be an uphill battle.
For the moment though, it’s Ranchi that’s in focus. And while the return of KL Rahul will boost the batting, and Jaiswal’s form is heartening – not to forget Gill, who should be a different batter after the 100 and 91 – we can’t say the same for the bowling. And that’s why Bumrah is key. He is the Pied Piper of this attack, and even at the risk of stretching him, he has to be there for India to push for an unassailable 3-1 lead in Ranchi. While having him is always an advantage, over-reliance on any individual in a team sport is bad. That’s what India will need to guard against going forward.
Every sport is played in the mind, and cricket isn’t an exception. Bazball is an example of what England have tried to do to teams mentally. Attacking from ball one puts the pressure back on the opponent, and in no time, England establish control. With Bumrah, that’s what they have been unable to do. Rather, Bumrah has a mental edge against someone like Joe Root and that’s what has given India a huge advantage.
England’s batting talisman hasn’t done much yet. Without Bumrah around, Root would feel much more comfortable. So even if he doesn’t pick up too many wickets, his presence for India is key. And maybe that’s why resting him wasn’t really an option for Rajkot, with the series in the balance.
Resting him in Ranchi will surely be as big a risk.
Having already bowled more than 80 overs in the series, Jasprit Bumrah’s workload will come under the scanner ahead of the fourth Test in Ranchi.
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— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 19, 2024