One-man army

India’s 3-1 defeat in Australia exposed the fragility of their top order, but equally unmissable was how much they rely on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who gave it all until he broke down in the series finale in Sydney.

The seam-bowling genius finished the five-Test series with 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 and was the obvious choice for the Player of the Series award despite being on the losing side.

Bumrah, laid low by a back spasm, was not available to bowl in Australia’s second innings in the low-scoring thriller in Sydney where the hosts prevailed by six wickets to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade.

“It’s a little disappointing in the end because I probably missed out on the spiciest wicket of the series,” a dejected Bumrah said after India lost the series even though his own stature grew.

Australia run-machine Travis Head said he could not think of a better individual display than Bumrah’s superlative performance in the series. “I think there were 15 people really pleased that Bumrah didn’t bowl (on third day in Sydney). He’s a great performer, he had an exceptional tour,” Head said.

Australian opener Usman Khawaja said it was a nightmare facing Bumrah with the new ball. “I was just getting Bumrah’d. It was tough work. I have to face this guy with the new ball every single time. You never want to see anyone injured and it’s a shame he was but thank God for us,” Khawaja said.

“He’s the toughest bowler I’ve ever faced. He has been something else this year. He has different plans for everyone,” he added.

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer said Bumrah alone kept alive India’s hopes of levelling the series in Sydney until his injury.

“Every time Bumrah stood at the top of his mark this series Aus cricket fans held their breath and only released it after the ball was played out safely,” Jaffer wrote on X. “Have rarely seen a cricketer dominate the Aussie psyche so much...”

But there is a limit even for arguably the best all-format bowler of his generation, who was over-bowled with little support from the other end.

His new-ball partner Mohammed Siraj, who finished with 20 wickets, was inconsistent and expensive in the low-scoring series.

Akash Deep bowled well in Brisbane and Melbourne before a back injury cut short his tour, while Prasidh Krishna claimed six wickets in the only Test he played in Sydney.

The difference between the bowling averages of Bumrah and his seam-bowling teammates stood at 21.76, suggesting Bumrah operated as India’s one-man army with the ball.

He bowled 53.2 overs in Melbourne — the highest in his 45-Test career — and skipper Rohit Sharma conceded they over-bowled Bumrah.

“If somebody is in such a great form, you want to try and maximise that form,” Rohit said after the Melbourne Test. “That is what we’ve been trying to do with Bumrah.”

Apart from mentoring the young seamers in the squad, Bumrah also led India in Perth and Sydney, with Rohit skipping the first Test and being dropped from the last.

The Australia tour adds another layer of sheen to Bumrah’s reputation as a premier bowler of his era, but India will return worrying about their shallow pace reserve ahead of their England tour in June-July.

Bumrah likely to miss majority of England series

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be rested for the majority of India’s home white-ball series against England, keeping an eye on the ICC Champions Trophy, which starts from February 19. Bumrah, who was India’s standout player with 32 wickets, couldn’t bowl in the final innings of the series in Sydney after suffering back spasms. The 30-year-old Bumrah bowled more than 150 overs in the series. The injury has a direct link to his excessive workload in the series, and the BCCI medical team will try to ensure the new Test captain is ready for the ICC showpiece where his presence is mandatory to India’s fortunes. According to sources privy to the development, the grade of Bumrah’s back spasm has not yet been ascertained. India will open their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai. India will face England in five T20Is and three ODIs from January 22. PTI