TimesofIndia.com in Leeds: Ball in his right hand and sweater resting on his left, Jasprit Bumrah had his eyes locked on the giant screen, which was showing the replay of his fifth wicket. No bowler wants to miss the opportunity of seeing the ball crashing into the woodwork, and Bumrah admired the dismissal before acknowledging the standing ovation from a jam-packed Headingley. A gentle raise of the ball and the Indian spearhead walked into the dressing room after completing his 14th five-wicket haul in Tests.For 24.4 overs, Bumrah fought a lonely battle at Headingley. His fellow bowlers let him down, fielders let him down, but he kept picking himself up ball after ball, over after over. He would bury his face in his cap when a catch was dropped off his bowling and found it hard to even open his eyes after it happened again, but he maintained composure, stuck to the job, kept running in hard, and finished with a magnificent fifer.He would create pressure only to see a Prasidh Krishna or Mohammed Siraj bowl looseners from the other end. England kept ticking along because they knew there was only one Bumrah in the Indian XI, and he could only do so much. The state of current Indian bowling can draw parallels with Indian batting of the ’90s — a one-man show. If it was Sachin Tendulkar versus the opposition, it is Bumrah versus the opposition now.Krishna picked three and Siraj scalped two, but together they conceded 250 runs in 47 overs. More than the runs conceded, it was the way they sprayed the ball over the place during crucial junctures of the game. Yes, Siraj looked good when the ball lost its lacquer on Day 2 but looked completely clueless on Day 3.As far as Krishna is concerned, he stuck to the short-ball ploy with the oldish Dukes and got the rewards, but when he erred with his lines, he was dispatched with disdain. The Indian team management’s confidence in Shardul Thakur looked low because the all-rounder bowled only six overs — three on each day — out of the 100.4 overs sent down by the Indian bowlers.
The script has that familiar feeling because it played out on numerous occasions during the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia. Both Siraj and Krishna have played and traveled with the side enough to do the job from the other end. Yes, England’s approach and the Bazball jazz are there, but the erratic lines and lengths are unexplainable at this level. India were very ordinary with the second new ball and allowed the opposition’s lower order to add 114 runs in 20.4 overs before Bumrah was summoned for an over before the break to do his magic again.He didn’t disappoint and picked two wickets in quick succession, but it was the other two seamers (because they never went towards the third) who were unable to create an impact, even in conditions — overcast and windy — which were ideal for the quicks. Bumrah carried the load in the first outing of the Leeds Test, but he will not be there forever — certainly not for more than three Tests of the series.
Which ones are anybody’s guess right now, but India need to start preparing for life without Bumrah, and prepare for it now. Handling of the new ball will be a serious concern, and it’s important the experienced pro Siraj puts his hand up and steps up. Siraj is no stranger to bowling with the Dukes, and Krishna has had enough experience traveling with the team and playing with A sides.Bumrah continues to eat, sleep, pick wickets, and repeat, and it’s about time others drill the same routine into their heads.
