The regular captain who sat out and the stand-in who had to leave due to injury—nothing went right for India at the SCG, and their campaign ended in disappointment from start to finish.
The biggest shock was seeing Jasprit Bumrah walk off the field on Day Two due to back spasms. He couldn’t bowl again, which left India’s bowling attack weak and led to a quick defeat.
The regular captain who sat out and the stand-in who had to leave due to injury—nothing went right for India at the SCG, and their campaign ended in disappointment from start to finish.
The biggest shock was seeing Jasprit Bumrah walk off the field on Day Two due to back spasms. He couldn’t bowl again, which left India’s bowling attack weak and led to a quick defeat.
This series could be called the “Jasprit Bumrah Series,” starting with joy in Perth and ending in sadness at the SCG. Throughout, India’s complete dependence on him raised many concerns. The signs were visible from the second Test in Adelaide, where he faced groin discomfort and cramps. The continuous rain in Brisbane gave him some rest, but the heavy workload in Melbourne (MCG), where he bowled 53.2 overs, caused his body to break down.
“It’s frustrating, but you have to respect your body. You can’t fight it,” Bumrah told the official broadcaster after the day’s play. “I’m disappointed because I probably missed bowling on the best wicket of the series. But that’s how it is—sometimes, you have to accept and move on.”
Bumrah bowled a massive 151.2 overs across five Tests, which is a big burden for someone with his unique bowling action and short run-up. In Bumrah’s absence, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj struggled to defend India’s 162-run target on the SCG pitch, which still had help for bowlers.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir praised Siraj’s attitude despite the defeat. “Bumrah did everything he could,” Gambhir said. “He led the attack well, bowled a lot of overs, and took important wickets. But he had help from the other end as well, especially from Siraj, Akash Deep, and Harshit Rana in the first two Tests.”
Bumrah himself believes that the younger bowlers will learn a lot from this tour. “It was a tough series, but there are many learnings for us. It wasn’t one-sided. We were in the game for a long time, and handling pressure, creating pressure, and playing according to the situation are important lessons,” Bumrah said.
“Younger players often have success in a certain way, but in Test cricket, you need to adapt and change your game. These lessons will help us in the future,” he added.
There will likely be more discussions about Bumrah’s leadership skills ahead of the England series in five months. For now, fans and players will appreciate his brilliant wicket-taking abilities.
“It’s the best individual performance I’ve seen in Test cricket,” said Australia’s Travis Head. “Bumrah is an incredible player.”
