ENG vs IND, 4th Test: Dip in Jasprit Bumrah’s Bowling Speed Raises Big Concern for Team India

Jasprit Bumrah’s dip in pace and discomfort in the 4th Test vs England raised concerns. He looked off-rhythm, twisted his ankle, and struggled to trouble batters. His form and fitness, along with lack of support, are key worries for Team India.

Team India’s pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, lacked the intensity and rhythm in the first innings of the ongoing fourth Test in the five-match series against England at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Throughout the first innings of the ongoing Manchester Test, Jasprit Bumrah was not at his usual best, where he would pose a serious threat to England’s batting line-up. Many expected to get India off to a good start on a pitch that has variable bounce, seam movement, and swing, but the pacer struggled to generate his usual pace and accuracy.

Threatening Bumrah was nowhere to be found as his deliveries lacked venom and rarely troubled the England batters, who negotiated with relative ease, a stark contrast to his menacing presence with the new ball. The 31-year-old would often bowl with a purpose, either to provide breakthroughs for India or restrict England’s flow of runs.

None of these were on display on Day 2 and Day 3, as Bumrah looked off-colour, lacked intensity, and trademark bite to pose a serious threat to the hosts’ batting line-up, who had piled up the lead. What makes the worse about the pacer is that he seemingly looked physically uncomfortable and struggled to maintain his usual speed, raising serious concerns about his form in the ongoing Manchester Test.

Jasprit Bumrah’s worrying dip in bowling speed

Amid a crucial phase of the ongoing Test series, a noticeable drop in Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling speed might have raised alarms in the Indian camp. Across two days of India’s first innings bowling, Bumrah managed to clock 140 kmph only once in 173 deliveries, a sharp contrast to his usual pace and a worrying indicator of potential fatigue.

Jasprit Bumrah’s drop in pace is significant compared to his outing in the first and third Test at Headingley and Lord’s, where he clocked over 140 kmph quite consistently. In the Headingley Test, Bumrah has clocked over 140 kmph in 106 out of 266 deliveries, while in the Lord’s Test, he had delivered 69 out of 257 balls above 140 kmph.

On Day 3 of the ongoing Manchester Test, Bumrah was operating at a speed of 130-135 kmph, which later dipped to 120-125 kmph, raising concerns about his physical condition and the match conditions. The 31-year-old’s dip in bowling speed has not only affected his trouble with the England batters but also dented India’s bowling plan, as he remained their go-to strike bowler in pressure situations.

In the morning session of Day 3, Shubman Gill decided to rely on Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Anshul Kamboj to break England’s stronghold, but the trio failed to make early inroads, with Bumrah in particular struggling to extract any movement or bounce, leaving the visitors were looking for an answer as hosts continue to pile up runs as well as lead.

Ankle twists impacted Bumrah’s rhythm

After failing to take a single wicket, Jasprit Bumrah had a wicketless run in the first two sessions of Day 3 before he managed to take the first wicket of the ongoing fourth Test by dismissing Jamie Smith. Bumrah gave India a breakthrough after toiling hard in the first sessions across two days.

However, there was a slight impact on his performance after he twisted his ankle while bowling with the new ball. There were injury concerns when he decided to leave the field after bowling the first over with the new ball to receive some treatment.

In a video that went viral on social media, the 31-year-old was struggling to climb the stairs to reach the Indian dressing room. Bowling coach Morne Morkel walked out of the dressing room as the pacer was visibly limping to make it to the dressing room.

The twist in Jasprit Bumrah’s ankle further compounded India’s worries, as it has not only further impacted his rhythm but also raised fresh concerns about his fitness going into the final phase of the ongoing Manchester Test. Before the Old Trafford Test, Bumrah had played only two matches of the ongoing series at Headingley and Lord’s and was rested for the Edgbaston Test to manage his workload.

However, Bumrah was apparently forced to play the fourth Test due to injuries to Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh.

Did the lack of support affect Bumrah’s bowling?

Many fans and experts perceived that the lack of support from other bowlers has not only affected Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling performance but also added to the pressure on him to deliver breakthroughs single-handedly, leading to fatigue and a dip in intensity.

India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted that Bumrah lacked support from fellow pacers with the ball in the ongoing Test series. Speaking at the press conference after Day 3 of the Manchester Test, Morkel highlighted the importance of support from other bowlers and the difficulty of creating pressure from both sides.

“I had a conversation with Bumrah last night. He is obviously a guy who is highly skillful, and he wants to create things for us with the ball,” the India bowling coach said.

“But at the end of the day, we need support from the other end as well. And I think that is, you know, a big thing in this sort of bowling innings is that we are struggling to create. We are finding it hard to create pressure from both ends," he added.

Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah finished the first innings with figures of 2/112 at an economy rate of 3.40 in 33 overs as India eventually bundled out England for 669 and took a 311-run lead.