There have been reports in the last few days that India pacer Jasprit Bumrah might miss the 2nd Test against England, which will begin on July 2 in Birmingham. Bumrah bowled 44 overs in the first game of the series, which India lost despite being in a strong position for the most part of the first four days.
Jasprit Bumrah was India’s best bowler by a country mile, taking a five-wicket haul in the first innings. Bumrah’s potential absence implies that India, who are already down 0-1 in the series, have a crisis on their hands.
Gambhir Confirmed Jasprit Bumrah Would Miss Two Tests
While there have been calls made to include Bumrah, India head coach Gautam Gambhir before the team’s departure to England had confirmed that Bumrah will miss two of the five Tests due to a workload issue.
Staggering Workload of Jasprit Bumrah Since 2024
Bumrah has picked up 78 Test wickets in 15 matches since the start of 2024, but there’s no denying the fact that Bumrah has been the most overworked bowler in the world.
Most Overs Bowled by Pacers Since 2024
For the uninitiated, Bumrah has bowled 410.4 overs in that time, the highest by any pacer in the world. Second-placed behind him is Australia’s Mitchell Starc, who has bowled 362.3.
Second on the list of bowlers with the highest number of wickets (54) in the format since last year is England’s Gus Atkinson. However, he has bowled just 328 overs.
Among Indian bowlers, Mohammed Siraj has also bowled 355.3 overs, having played as many number of matches as Bumrah. Still, he has taken 14 fewer wickets despite bowling 27 overs more than Atkinson.
Most Overs Bowled by Pacers in Tests (Since 2024)
- Jasprit Bumrah – 410.4 (78 wickets)
- Mitchell Starc – 362.3 (48 wickets)
- Pat Cummins – 359.1 (51 wickets)
- Mohammed Siraj – 355.3 (41 wickets)
- Gus Atkinson – 328 (55 wickets)
Siraj to Lead in Bumrah’s Absence
In the overall tally, only Ravindra Jadeja among Indian bowlers has bowled 400 or more overs (400.1).
Siraj’s record is slightly worrying, given that he will lead India’s bowling effort at Edgbaston if Bumrah misses the game.
Siraj’s output was far from satisfactory in Headingley, though he was slightly unfortunate with those DRS decisions and dropped chances.