Jasprit Bumrah's Workload Management Ensures A 2-0 Lead For England; Here Is How

Jasprit Bumah [Source: AP Photos]

The Indian pace attack is on the brink of facing a critical Test in the upcoming second Test against England at Edgbaston. With Jasprit Bumrah's more or less confirmed absence from the upcoming match due to workload management, the onus will be on the likes of Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur to take the 20 wickets of the English team. Most of the reports around Bumrah claim that the ace pacer will be rested for the second Test to keep him fit for the crucial Lord's Test.

The Headingley Test clearly showed the stark disparity in bowling quality between Bumrah and his supporting cast. Despite India posting a competitive total of 471 and 364 in the two innings, the lack of potency in the bowling attack cost the team the match.

The Headingley Evidence

During the first innings of the Headingley Test, Bumrah picked up a five-fer. Despite this, the Indian team was unable to maintain pressure on the English batters or take a decisive lead due to the failure of the support cast around Bumrah. 

Each wicket has a zone, and the bowlers need to understand that quickly to be successful on the strip. The Headingley track was one where hitting the zone around the 6-8m area was essential. An ESPN Cricinfo analysis reveals that Bumrah hit the optimal length 53% of the time; no other bowler could maintain a consistency of even 50%. 

This shows how Bumrah mostly carried the Indian bowling in the first Test. Things become clearer when we realise that as Bumrah lost a bit of rhythm in the second innings and failed to pick up wickets, the Indian bowling started looking even blunter. England chased down the target of 371 runs without facing much challenge and won the game by five wickets. 

Individual Analysis Of The Support Cast

Mohammad Siraj is one of the senior pros in the bowling unit of the Indian line-up and is expected to lead the pack during the second Test in the absence of Bumrah. This is where the signs are even gloomier for India. The Indian pacer looked flat and clueless in the first Test, causing the English batter little trouble. In fact, he has not been in the best of rhythms for long. The responsibilities on his shoulders might further weigh him down during the upcoming clash.

The other bowler, who faced a lot of slack after the last match, was Prasidh Krishna. The leading wicket-taker-wicket-taker of the IPL has so far failed due to adapt to the change in formats. Krishna had an economy of over six in both innings of the first Test. In Bumrah's absence, it is expected that Krishna will provide some crucial breakthroughs for India, but considering his current form, this seems too far-fetched.

Conclusion

An analysis of India's bowling performance at Headingley reveals that without Bumrah's precision and bowling intelligence, India operates with a severely compromised bowling attack. The Indian supporting cast of Bumrah has not been able to create pressure on the batters. 

The pitch at Edgbaston will assist the seamers, making it difficult for the Indian batters. When these factors combine, it puts the visitors at a severe disadvantage during the game. If the Indian bowlers do not put their socks up, then it is a given that they will not be able to pick up the 20 English wickets and that inevitably would result in their defeat.

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