Jasprit Bumrah’s stellar performance in the second Test at Vizag, where he secured nine wickets, played a crucial role in India’s victory and series leveling. However, it appears that Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma are considering giving Bumrah a break for the upcoming Test in Rajkot as a part of workload management. This decision is likely to ensure his fitness for the IPL and his pivotal role in India’s campaign at the T20 World Cup later in the year.
Mohammed Siraj, who was also granted a break for the second Test, is likely to make a comeback as per selectors’ plans. It’s evident that Siraj will take charge of the bowling attack in the upcoming third game before reuniting with Bumrah for the final two Tests of the series. The official team selection is expected to be confirmed on Tuesday (February 6). (Bumrah Ball>Bazball: Fans React As Jasprit Bumrah Runs Havoc On England In 2nd Test)
The strategic management of workload has become crucial for the two fast bowlers, especially with Mohammed Shami, another proven match-winner, still not ready for an international comeback. Recent reports from Cricbuzz reveal that Shami has been sent to London for treatment on his troublesome ankle, and his recovery period is anticipated to be longer than initially expected.
There were eight players in the starting line-up with a collective experience of only 68 Tests, five of them with match count that was not even in double digits. No wonder skipper Rohit Sharma was proud of his inexperienced bunch pulling off an impressive 106-run victory in the second Test against an aggressive England, where the hosts didn’t have the luxury of banking on the seasoned trio of Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul. (‘It’s Best To Ask…,’ Rahul Dravid Answers Question About Virat Kohli’s Availability For India vs England 3rd Test)
“(I am) very proud of such a young squad, to come up against a team like that. Lot of the guys are quite young in terms of playing this form of the game,” Rohit said at the post match presentation ceremony, lauding the likes of double centurion Yashasvi and second innings ton-maker Shubman Gill.
Rohit knows that less experienced players are bound to make mistakes and he wants experts to cut them some slack.
“It’ll take some time to be absolutely spot on. (I) want them to play freely without any pressure,” Rohit said. (WTC Points Table 2023-25: Team India Get Big Jump In Rankings, England Take 8th Spot After IND vs ENG 2nd Test)
“The last couple of years, England have been playing good cricket. I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy series. Three more to go. We’ll keep our check on it and make sure we do most things right.”
No praise was enough for pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, whose match haul of nine wickets on a sporting deck fetched him the player of the match award. The skipper kept it short and reiterated what has been said several times for his biggest match-winner.
“He is a champion player for us,” Rohit said but wanted to look at the bigger picture.
“You win a game like that, you have to look at the overall performance as well. We were good with the bat. You know winning a Test in these conditions is not easy. Wanted our bowlers to step up and they did that.” Yashasvi Jaiswal with 86 in the first Test, followed by a maiden double hundred in the just-concluded game looks like a star in the making and Rohit wants him to remain grounded.
“He looks like a good player, understands his game really well. There is a long way to go for him, he has got a lot to offer for our team. Hope he stays humble.” England couldn’t win it but did make a match of it for a while with their ‘Bazball’ approach. Rohit acknowledged that the pitch was good to bat on.
“The wicket was really good to bat on. If I have to point anything, lot of the batters got starts but couldn’t get big score. But I understand they’re young and new to the game. (It is) important for us to give them confidence.”
The hosts who were under pressure going into day four. After James Anderson claimed that India were nervous while batting in the second innings and did not know a safe target to counter ‘Bazball’, England walked the talk on Monday and went ballistic.
They would have been better served taking a cue from Crawley, who saw out an intense morning spell from Bumrah before going for his strokes. Night-hawk Rehan Ahmed (23) wanted to smash his first ball of the day out of the park while Hyderabad Test hero Ollie Pope (23) and Joe Root (16) were pushing their luck, frequently attempting sweeps and reverse sweeps on a pitch with variable bounce.
The visitors managed to make 127 runs in the opening session but the loss of five wickets effectively sealed their fate. When skipper Ben Stokes (11 off 29balls) got run out via a brilliant direct hit from Shreyas Iyer post lunch, there was no coming back for England. But Ben Foakes (36) and Tom Hartley (36) frustrated the visitors with a 55-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
Hartley could have been Ashwin’s landmark 500th wicket but the TV umpire overturned the on-field decision of a catch as the ball had ballooned after hitting the batter’s arm and not the glove.
However, Rohit and Co. Were not convinced with the DRS showing umpire’s call for LBW. Since the appeal was only for a catch and not LBW, the umpire’s call for the latter was not considered. At stroke of lunch, Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Crawley while Bumrah trapped Jonny Bairstow (26) in front to deal a massive blow to England, who slipped to 194 for six at the break.
Crawley, by far the best batter on show, was adjudged LBW off Kuldeep with a close DRS call. On the sixth ball of his first over, Kuldeep got one to turn back in from middle stump. It seemed the ball was going down leg but DRS showed that it was hitting the leg-stump. India’s standout bowler in the game, Bumrah, bowled his heart out in the two-hour session.
For someone who was operating in four-over spells, Bumrah bowled one extra in his opening burst before returning towards the end of the session to send back Bairstow. He also cleaned up Hartley to end the game.
Root and Pope perished while going for their strokes. Root, in particular, would be disappointed with his effort as he danced down the track and went for a wild slog without getting to the pitch of the ball to be caught at short third man, giving Ashwin his 499th wicket.
While Axar Patel found Rehan’s pads with a straighter one, Pope offered a sharp catch to Rohit Sharma at first slip off Ashwin and the Indian skipper made no mistake in pouching it.
Crawley’s play in the first session stood out. He was patient enough to leave balls in Bumrah’s opening spell and when the champion fast bowler did for for a full ball, the England opener was quick to put it away with a straight bat. His cover and straight drive off Bumrah were the standout strokes of his innings. When Axar was bowling his first spell, India were a tad defensive and had both long off and long on in place for Rehan, who was promoted to bat at number three before stumps on day three.
Pope played a sweep, flick and stepped out to Axar in the same over for three boundaries. Root, who had missed the last two sessions on Sunday due to an injured right little finger, was in full attack mode with his first two scoring shots being reverse sweep for four. (With PTI inputs)
