SYDNEY: The regular captain who sat out, and the stand-in who hobbled away. Nothing went right for India at the SCG and their campaign was mired in disappointment from start to finish.
The biggest blow of all was the sight of Jasprit Bumrah walking out of the ground due to back spasms on Day Two. He would play no further role with ball in hand, neutering India’s capabilities and sparking a quick defeat.
This has been the Jasprit Bumrah Series, bookended by ecstasy in Perth and agony here at the SCG. Throughout, the side’s complete dependence on him has sparked concern. The signs were there right from the second Test in Adelaide, when he experienced some groin discomfort and cramps. The incessant rain in Brisbane then allowed some breathing space before the immense workload at the MCG, where he bowled 53.2 overs, eventually led to breakdown.
“It’s a little frustrating, but sometimes you’ve got to respect your body. You can’t fight your body,” Bumrah told the official broadcaster after the day’s play. “It’s a little disappointing in the end because I probably missed out on the spiciest wicket of the series. That’s the way it is. Sometimes you’ve to accept it and move forward.”
Bumrah bowled a back-breaking 151.2 overs across the five Tests, an immense burden for a bowler with an unorthodox action off a short run up. In Bumrah’s absence, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj proved woefully inadequate in defending India’s 162-run target on Sunday, even on the helpful SCG pitch. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, however, praised Siraj’s attitude after the day’s play.
“Bumrah did everything possible,” Gambhir said. “He led the attack really well. He bowled a lot of overs. He took wickets. But there’s been help from the other end as well. From Bumrah’s point of view, he had a phenomenal series, (but) he was helped by Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana in the first two Tests.”
Bumrah himself said the younger lot would emerge from the tour better equipped to handle pressure. “It was a well-fought series, (there are) a lot of learnings for us. A lot of ifs and buts but it was not like it was totally one-sided,” he said.
“Being in the game for longer, creating pressure, absorbing pressure, playing to the situation, all these learnings are important. Young players come up having success in a certain way, but in Test cricket you’ve to adapt, make your game work in a different manner. These learnings will help us in the future.”
The talk on Bumrah’s leadership capabilities will no doubt gain pace ahead of the England series in five months’ time. For now, it’s time to let his wondrous wicket-taking capabilities sink in.
“It’s the best individual performance I’ve seen in Test cricket,” Australia’s Travis Head gushed. “Bumrah is a great performer.”
