Imagine how great it would be to have Jasprit Bumrah ready to help when a cricket team is in trouble. You’d feel confident he won’t let you down. But it’s also frustrating if he’s your only option, making you wonder if other players can step up too. That’s what Rohit Sharma is feeling right now as the Indian cricket team takes on Australia. Instead of seeing a match between India’s bowlers and Australia’s batsmen, it’s turned into a showcase of Bumrah’s incredible skills.
Bumrah has been amazing, taking 21 wickets at a super low average of 10.90. While his numbers are fantastic, the team isn’t just about him. Mohammed Siraj has done well too, with 13 wickets from three matches. Normally, his average of 23.92 would be impressive, but Bumrah’s numbers are so extraordinary that Siraj seems overshadowed.
India misses Mohammed Shami, who hasn’t played since November 19, 2023, due to knee problems that won’t allow him to join the team in Australia. Shami used to be the perfect partner for Bumrah, but now India finds itself in a tough spot. Once, India had many strong bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, and even Hardik Pandya. But time has changed things.
Injuries have hit many key players hard. Jofra Archer hasn’t played much in five years, and Ben Stokes is often injured. India’s fast bowlers have struggled too. Rohit Sharma and coaches like Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir haven’t been able to create a strong pace attack since Bumrah’s arrival completed the previous one.
While India has tried new bowlers like Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana, only Akash Deep has shown promise. Together, these bowlers have played just seven Tests. Mukesh is 31, Prasidh is 28, and the youngest, Rana, is only 23. Deep has played six Tests at 28, but India’s Test bowling strength looks weak without Bumrah.
Bumrah, like legends Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, is a once-in-a-lifetime player, but he’s also 31 and has been playing for nearly ten years. He’s now Rohit’s deputy and is key for India in Test matches, not just as a top bowler but as a mentor for the next generation. However, don’t expect a quick fix for India’s bowling problems anytime soon.
Leave a Reply