Jasprit Bumrah Slander Needs To Stop: Why Indian Fans Are Fighting Back Against Trolls
It was not lost on anyone that India won two Tests in the recently concluded five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy without their best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. It was decided by the team management and selectors ahead of the series that the 31-year-old premier fast bowler would play three out of five Test matches, and that is exactly what happened. Bumrah sat out in the Edgbaston Test, the second clash between England and India. The pacer then played two consecutive matches at the Lord's and Old Trafford. India 1-2 down after four contests needed the good ol' Bumrah to rise and help India square the series, but the bowler, struggling to keep up the pace as the series advanced, was ruled out. With no absolute reasons given for his absence, it was later reported that Bumrah's exclusion wasn't to manage his workload or safeguard his back but to give him respite from a minor knee injury.
As luck would have it, Mohammed Siraj, who played second fiddle to Bumrah, rose to the occasion in the final straw at The Oval as well, where he scalped as many as nine English wickets. Concluding the series on a high and a fifer in the second innings, Siraj ended the tour with a staggering 23 wickets to his name and plenty of praise for his 'lionhearted" display of grit and determination to bowl lengthy spells and a record-breaking number of overs.
Bumrah Slander
It did not sit well with Bumrah supporters that the man struggling to keep going was dragged by 'irrational fans" online who celebrated Siraj while scrutinising Bumrah over his lack of fitness. The criticism voiced against Bumrah was harsh, and that these 'fans" expected Bumrah to match Siraj's level of intensity and labour was unfair to the best-ranked Test bowler in the scene.
'Why does praising Siraj for his endurance have to come with dissing Bumrah? They are different types of cricketers. You can like a Battle Tank and a Fighter Jet," @hankypanty remarked on X.
'This sniggering about Bumrah is unfortunate & unfair. As cricket fans we are lucky to see his genius – and to expect him to keep ravaging his body cos irrational fans want it that way is just plain ungrateful. We should be happy that other bowlers have stepped up in his absence," added @nowme_datta.
One of my favourite quotes from the legendary @naval 's book.A reminder that Siraj can be praised without deriding Bumrah. pic.twitter.com/c5GMonczAl — Sarvesh🏏 (@CricAspect) August 4, 2025
'The anti Bumrah narrative is going to go worse ways now. I really feel bad for him. He has given his everything to return from injury and play two big Test series. Doesn't deserve this (sic)," @c_soubhagya.
The sentiment around Siraj stepping up without Bumrah by his side was turned into memes.
Mohd Siraj when the Bumrah is not in the playing 11 #MohammedSiraj pic.twitter.com/qZ3U8mttas
— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) August 4, 2025
The Funny Game
Bumrah was not a part of the playing XI that won two Test matches. India crushed England in the second Test at Edgbaston. Captain Shubman Gill was adjudged the Player of the Match for his twin centuries (269 & 161). Akash Deep claimed a ten-for here, and Siraj picked up seven across both the English innings.
Siraj was instrumental in India's victory in the final and series decider contest at The Oval, where he scalped nine wickets. This edge-of-the-seat thriller where India won by 6 runs was missed by Bumrah.
India win 2-0 without Bumrah and lose 2-0 with him. Funny old game— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) August 4, 2025
Bumrah's Stats
Despite playing only three contests in what turned out to be an exciting Test series between the two nations, Bumrah was India's leading wicket-taker ahead of The Oval Test that went in India's favour, helping them square the series at 2-2. Bumrah and Siraj both had 14 wickets in their bags before the final Test.
The sublime bowler finished the series with 14 wickets to his name at an average of 26.
While his bowling stats included two five-wicket hauls, it was his excruciating spell of 33 overs, which yielded only 2 wickets at Old Trafford in Manchester, was discussed widely. This was the match where England responded with a staggering 669 to India's 358. India began their second outing with 0/2 on the board before KL Rahul (90), Shubman Gill (103), Washington Sundar (101), and Ravindra Jadeja (107) worked together to not only save India from a certain defeat, but also prevent a series loss. The Old Trafford match ended in a heroic draw.
Aussie legend Glenn McGrath warned that Bumrah needed an off-season to avoid further injuries in his Test career. His action and workload had taken a toll on him, and he needed some much-needed time off from the action.
'Someone like Bumrah needs an off-season because he puts so much into every ball. With so much extensive effort, he needs a break. If he keeps playing, the amount of pressure created given the bowling action he has, he is bound to get injured, which he has in the past," McGrath said at the MRF Pace Foundation.
Siraj, The Workhorse
Every single cricket fan in India now believes in Siraj bhai. The man led the bowling attack with 23 wickets to his name. Siraj bowled 185.3 overs in the five-match Test series.
The bowler put in the hard yards and was deservedly credited for spearheading India's comeback, securing a thrilling 2-2 series draw.
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First Published:
August 05, 2025, 11:58 IST
News explainers Jasprit Bumrah Slander Needs To Stop: Why Indian Fans Are Fighting Back Against Trolls
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