Manchester [UK], July 26 : India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's bowling has evidently seen a decline in speed in the Test series against England.
Bumrah had a largely forgettable day on the field during day three of the match. He finished the day with 15 overs bowled, 48 runs conceded and just one wicket of wicketkeeper Jamie Smith to show for. His overall spell reads, 1/95 in 28 overs taking into account his bowling on day two.
Notably, during this series, there has been a decline in the number of 140-plus kmph balls delivered by Bumrah. The pacer, who is only featuring in three Tests of the series, bowled 106 such deliveries out of 266 total deliveries bowled at Headingley, 39.84 per cent of his total balls were above 140-plus kmph. He took a five-wicket haul in the first innings, but went wicketless in the second while defending 371 runs unsuccessfully.
At Lord's during the third Test, 69 of Bumrah's 257 balls (26.84 per cent) were 140-plus kmph. In this Test, he took a first innings fifer, following it with two more wickets in the second innings. But India lost by 22 runs, failing to chase 193 runs.
Now, during the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Bumrah could bowl only one ball above 140-plus kmph out of a total of 173, barely (0.57 per cent).
While he had missed the Edgbaston Test after playing at Leeds to prepare himself for Lord's, Bumrah has pulled a back-to-back with Lord's and Old Trafford Tests, with eight days in between the Tests.
Bumrah notably struggled with his fitness during the second session. After the new ball was taken in the 91st over, Bumrah could bowl only one over with it, going for 11 runs before walking off the field. As per Sky Sports, Bumrah returned to the field in the 98th over, which was bowled by Shardul Thakur, but was hobbling a bit, after jolting his left ankle while coming down the stairs earlier on. Even ex-Indian coach Ravi Shastri pointed out Bumrah's struggles while walking. Later Shastri said in his live commentary that Bumrah would be back to bowling after second session."Bumrah is out in the middle but he will be able to bowl only after tea," Shastri said on air, according to Cricbuzz.
Bumrah was in fact back to bowling during the final session, opening the bowling and got Jamie's wicket.
Despite being the third-highest wicket-taker in the series with 13 scalps in five innings at an average of 26.69, with two five-wicket-haul, the numbers still look underwhelming as he was coming back to Tests after a long injury lay-off, which happened during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 against Australia away from home, during which he took a record-shattering 32 wickets at an average of 13.06, with two four-fers and three five-wicket hauls to his name.
Will Bumrah be back at his best on day four? Is there indeed something up with his fitness? Only time will tell.
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