Rohit Sharma summed it up perfectly after the Adelaide Test: “You can’t expect Bumrah to bowl from both ends from morning till evening.” But why does the question even arise about Bumrah bowling from both ends? What’s happening with India’s other bowlers?
Currently ranked the number one Test bowler, Jasprit Bumrah is undeniably a name that comes up whenever the best bowlers are discussed. It’s only natural that there isn’t another “Bumrah” in the Indian team, but there should at least be others who can ease his workload. Unfortunately, during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India hasn’t found anyone to do that.
Across the first three Tests, Bumrah has been India’s leading wicket-taker in every innings. In two instances, he shared the top spot with Mohammed Siraj, but in the rest, he has stood alone. Even with the bat, Bumrah has contributed. In the rain-affected Brisbane Test, his unbeaten 10 runs off 38 balls were crucial in securing a draw.
As for Bumrah’s batting abilities, it’s fair to question whether it’s even right to evaluate him as a batsman. He certainly doesn’t seem to appreciate it. When asked about his batting, Bumrah quipped, “It’s funny you’re questioning my ability. Maybe you should Google who scored the most runs in one over in Test cricket.” Of course, he was referring to his 35-run over against Stuart Broad in 2022, which is the highest in Test history.
Bumrah’s Bowling in Numbers
Focusing on Bumrah’s real craft—his bowling—he has taken 21 wickets in three Tests so far, with an astounding average of 10.90. In contrast, the rest of the Indian bowlers combined have taken 26 wickets at an average of 36.81. Simply put, their average is more than three times worse than Bumrah’s.
Such dominance by a single pacer in a Test series hasn’t been seen in the last 40 years. The last time this happened was in 1985-86 when New Zealand legend Richard Hadlee took 33 wickets at an average of 12.15 in a three-match series against Australia. Meanwhile, the rest of his team managed just 22 wickets at 45.95.
In the history of Test cricket, 360 pacers have taken 20 or more wickets in a single series. Out of these, only four pacers have had a bowling average three times better than their teammates. Alongside Bumrah and Hadlee, this elite group includes Pakistan’s Imran Khan and New Zealand’s Bruce Taylor.
Of Bumrah’s 21 wickets, 15 have come from dismissing Australia’s top five batters. Take Nathan McSweeney, for instance—a debutant opener who played just two Tests before being dropped after falling to Bumrah four times in 66 balls for just 15 runs.
Bumrah’s Discipline and Impact
Bumrah doesn’t just take wickets; his key strength lies in his discipline. He has conceded runs at just 2.92 per over in this series, while all other Indian pacers have gone at over 4 runs per over.
Such is his dominance that ESPNcricinfo humorously compared Bumrah to a World XI bowler and the rest of India’s attack to Ilford Club’s second XI—a local East London team. The analogy underscores the stark difference between Bumrah’s brilliance and the struggles of his teammates.
This isn’t the first time such a comparison has been made. Back in 1986, New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee carried a similar burden against England, prompting Graham Gooch to describe New Zealand’s bowling as essentially “Hadlee at one end, and club-level bowlers at the other.”
Looking Ahead to Melbourne
The next Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will take place in Melbourne, where Bumrah had bowled his famous slower delivery to dismiss Shaun Marsh in 2018. That ball was later ranked 12th on ESPNcricinfo’s list of the 100 greatest deliveries of all time.
While Bumrah may not have produced a moment of magic like that in this series, his sheer consistency is proving to be its own kind of spellbinding magic.
