Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg said that India could find the going hard without their veteran pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the fourth Test against England in Ranchi beginning on Friday. However, Bumrah has been the leading wicket-taker in the series so far with 17 scalps to his name. He also claimed the Player of the Match award in Visakhapatnam, generating reverse swing in good batting conditions.

In a video on his YouTube channel, Brad Hogg said: “Bumrah not playing the next match is obviously going to play in the hands of England. Getting a bit of reverse swing, he is probably the best fast bowler in this Test series. It is going to cause India some problems going into the next game. It is going to put a lot of pressure on Siraj. You have to manage his workload. As a fast bowler, playing all three formats is the toughest thing in cricket. You need to preserve him for the T20 World Cup around the corner. Mumbai Indians need him too in the IPL. If they miss him, they won’t be doing well either.”

Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj bowled a stunning spell in the first innings of the Rajkot Test as his four-wicket haul helped the host get a massive lead as well. Brad Hogg also believes Siraj has come of age and can handle the responsibility of leading the bowling department as well.

He said: “I am loving the way Rohit Sharma is captaining this team against England. I like the way he is backing his bowlers. Yes England are going hard against the bowlers, but you got to show the courage to set the right fields and give your bowlers the best chance of picking wickets.”