Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was Rohit Sharma’s go-to bowler whenever India sought a breakthrough, while England batsmen aimed to establish partnerships during the Visakhapatnam Test. Bumrah’s remarkable knack for seamlessly adjusting to diverse pitch conditions while consistently delivering exceptional performances truly distinguishes him, earning him comparisons to a potent weapon like the Brahmastra. Former Indian pacer Harbhajan Singh also hailed Jasprit Bumrah’s impact, saying that you don’t need help from the pitch if you have the World No.1 pacer.
Bumrah proved his mettle yet again in the second Test against England on Visakhapatnam’s spin-friendly pitch. With a staggering nine-wicket match haul, the ace pacer was rightly named Player of the Match. More remarkably, Bumrah became the first Indian pacer to climb to the top of the Test rankings, surpassing global cricketing stalwarts such as Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada, and even India’s own dynamic spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin.
Harbhajan Singh, speaking to Gulf News, voiced his concerns about India’s approach and the importance of not falling into a trap of their own making by preparing pitches that favour their strengths.
“Somewhere down the line, Team India management need to sit and think that whether this is the right approach to take it forward or not. India has got a great team with some extraordinary players in their line-up. Someone like Bumrah doesn’t need any help from the pitch to perform, he is such a bowler. We have enough spinners and batters but what India need to understand is that the rivals are as much prepared as they are so they need to ensure that they prepare pitches where they don’t fall into their own trap,” Harbhajan Singh was quoted as saying by Gulf News.
The former India spinner emphasised the need to win matches even after losing the toss, something that cannot be achieved on such pitches.
“In that scenario, toss becomes critical and if you lose the toss the result becomes a foregone conclusion. One should be able to win the match even after losing the toss and it can’t happen on such pitches,” Harbhajan added.
However, the Indian team is currently grappling with some challenges. Key players, including the charismatic Virat Kohli, have stepped back from the series for personal reasons. Other players, such as KL Rahul, are battling injuries. A concerning sign for the selectors is the lack of meaningful contribution from Shreyas Iyer in recent Tests, reflecting a shaky middle order that perhaps will pave the way for Sarfaraz Khan or Devdutt Padikkal to make their Test debut for India.
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