Bumrah bachao? Is India's fast-bowling future in danger?
UPDATED: Jul 2, 2025 19:26 IST
The days of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, and Ishant Sharma hunting in packs in overseas Tests feel like a distant memory. While Bumrah still leads the pace unit, India's overdependence on their premier fast bowler is becoming a worrying trend. In Australia, it was Bumrah or bust. He picked up 30 wickets before breaking down ahead of the series-deciding Test — and missed the Champions Trophy campaign due to injury. In England, things haven't started well either. India appear to have learned little from past mistakes. In the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in Leeds, Bumrah was a lone warrior. Mohammed Siraj looked out of sorts, while Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur failed to provide any meaningful support. Despite Bumrah's five-wicket haul and four Indian batters hitting centuries, India slumped to defeat. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has defended the bowling group, insisting the young pace attack needs time and backing. But is there merit in that argument? Can India continue to be so heavily reliant on Bumrah without unearthing new fast-bowling heroes? Ahead of the second Test between England and India at Edgbaston, Akshay Ramesh, Kingshuk Kusari, and Saurabh Kumar break down the state of India's pace attack in today's episode.
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