India’s 3-1 series defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy laid bare two glaring vulnerabilities: a fragile top order and an overreliance on pace maestro Jasprit Bumrah. Despite India’s struggles, Bumrah shone as the standout performer, claiming a staggering 32 wickets at an average of 13.06, earning him the Player-of-the-Series honor even in defeat. However, his brilliance came at a cost, as he succumbed to a back spasm during the final Test in Sydney, leaving India exposed.
Bumrah’s absence in Australia’s second innings of the low-scoring Sydney Test proved pivotal. Without their spearhead, India faltered, and Australia clinched the match by six wickets to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade. Reflecting on the series, Bumrah remarked, “It’s a little disappointing in the end because I probably missed out on the spiciest wicket of the series.”
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His disappointment was shared by cricketing peers, with Australia’s Travis Head calling Bumrah’s performance one of the finest individual displays he had witnessed. Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer echoed similar sentiments, highlighting how Bumrah single-handedly kept India’s hopes alive. “Every time Bumrah stood at the top of his mark, Australian cricket fans held their breath,” Wasim Jaffer noted.
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. Have rarely seen a cricketer dominate the Aussie psyche so much. Gave everything he had and single handedly ensured the series… pic.twitter.com/qBfksbughr
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) January 5, 2025
Bumrah’s Herculean efforts underscored the lack of support from the rest of the pace attack. Mohammed Siraj, despite taking 20 wickets, struggled with consistency and proved expensive. Akash Deep impressed in Brisbane and Melbourne but was sidelined by a back injury, while Prasidh Krishna managed six wickets in his lone appearance in Sydney. The stark disparity in bowling averages between Bumrah and his teammates—21.76—underscored his solitary dominance.
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Rohit Sharma admitted to overworking Bumrah, particularly during the Melbourne Test, where the pacer bowled a career-high 53.2 overs. “When someone is in such great form, you want to maximize it,” Rohit explained. Yet, the toll on Bumrah was evident, raising concerns about India’s shallow pace reserves.
Adding to his responsibilities, Bumrah also captained the team in Perth and Sydney, with Rohit Sharma unavailable. While the tour further cemented Bumrah’s reputation as one of the finest bowlers of his generation, it also exposed India’s lack of depth in their pace arsenal—a pressing issue as they prepare for the England tour in June-July.
