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"Too Much Void...": Karthik Concerned Over India's Dependence On Jasprit Bumrah In Leeds

Akshita Patel

Dinesh Karthik flags concerns over Jasprit Bumrah [Source: @mufaddal_vohra, @Emmad81/X.com]Dinesh Karthik flags concerns over Jasprit Bumrah [Source: @mufaddal_vohra, @Emmad81/X.com]

Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has expressed concern over India’s growing dependence on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, especially after Day 2 of the ongoing Headingley Test against England. Bumrah was India’s only wicket-taker on Sunday, grabbing 3 wickets for 48 runs in his 13 overs. 

At the beginning of India’s 5-game tour to England, Bumrah clarified that his body cannot handle the toll of 5 Test matches and hence, he will be playing only 3 games to manage his workload.

This decision came after Bumrah hurt his back during his fifth straight Test in Australia last year. Not only that, for the sake of workload management, the pacer had to deny full-time Test captaincy.

India’s Over-Reliance On Jasprit Bumrah Worrying For Karthik

Team India is finding it difficult to sustain with the ball without spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. On Day 2 of the Headingley Test against England, Bumrah was the only one to get 3 wickets, while Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur struggled.

If not for a couple of dropped catches and a no-ball, Bumrah could have had 6 wickets in 13 overs by stumps on Day 2. 

However, the over-dependence on Bumrah is starting to worry former cricketer Dinesh Karthik. Talking to Circbuzz and quoted by News 18, Karthik said the gap between Jasprit and the rest of the attack was “too much” and that it puts extra pressure on both Bumrah and skipper Shubman Gill. 

“There was too much of a void between [Bumrah] and the rest. And you could see England also had it on the back of their minds that, ‘If we play this spell, we’d have a good chance’. That’s going to put pressure on the skipper because every time he’s under pressure, he’s going to go to Bumrah now. [But, at the same time,] he (Bumrah) has got a body that he has to take care of," Karthik said.

He warned that constantly relying on Bumrah for breakthroughs could be dangerous for his fitness. The ex-wicket-keeper also urged the other bowlers to step up and take responsibility.

“In a day where there are hardly 60 overs bowled, Bumrah has already bowled 13. Every time you need a wicket, it has to be Bumrah. And he always does it for you so you get into that habit. Others need to find a way to definitely push the captain and say, ‘I am ready, give me the ball, this is my plan, I want to do this’," he added.

Bumrah Scripts History In SENA Nations

India’s finest pace bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, etched his name in history during the 1st Test vs England at Headingley. He surpassed Wasim Akram’s tally of 146 to become the leading Asian wicket-taker in SENA countries with 147 wickets. The Indian pace ace dismissed Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett to break the record. Bumrah joins Sachin Tendulkar in holding SENA records for both bowling and batting by Asians.