Forcing Jasprit Bumrah into more overs one of Australia's decisive building blocks in achieving 2-1 lead in BGT 2024-25 series

'Ab nahin lag raha zor' said Jasprit Bumrah in Hindi, which translates to 'Not able to apply the force anymore' when Indian skipper Rohit Sharma asked his ace bowler if he would be okay to send down another over on Day 4 in Melbourne.

In one of the pre-series interactions in the Star Sports Press Room, Australian captain Pat Cummins said keeping his opposite number quiet can go a long way in beating India. However, the Aussies haven't managed to stop the right-arm speedster from taking wickets.

Quite the contrary, Bumrah has been head and shoulders above any bowler across two sides and got Australia's top six batters at least in all four Tests. The Bumrah factor was the sole reason that Nathan McSweeney came into the firing line and eventually found himself out of the side.

It was no surprise that the 31-year-old, at the peak of his extraordinary powers and leading the side, wiped the hosts off with an otherworldly display in the series-opener in Perth. Although Indian batters also pulled up their socks in the second innings at the Optus Stadium after a failure in the first, the puzzle to crack for Australia for the remaining Tests was India's premier speedster.

With a staggering 30 scalps at 12.83 in eight innings, the Ahmedabad-born cricketer still has a stranglehold over the home side. But where they have succeeded in taking a landmark 2-1 lead is forcing Bumrah into coming back after short breaks to bowl reasonably longer spells, mainly in Melbourne. 141.2 overs from him across four Tests is evidence enough that the Baggy Greens were successful in constructing one of the chief building blocks in regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

As mentioned above, Bumrah's 30 wickets are proof of his continued relentlessness. But equally Australia's adaptability and calculated counterpunch alongside India's inexperienced bowling attack and some polarising captaincy decisions have allowed the hosts to edge ahead.

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The moment Australia likely knew they had gained some edge over Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah. (Image Credits: Getty)

Cummins and company might have realized they were right back in the series when the physio was out to assess the No.1 ranked Test bowler before his 20th over of the innings in Adelaide. Although Bumrah was back to his feet in no time and sent down three more overs, Australia prolonged India's stay on the field and the right-arm pacer delivering at least 20 overs in the next two Tests continued.

Bumrah's response of not wanting to bowl any more overs on Day 4 in Melbourne was the third instance in four completed innings that he sent down over 20 overs. Marnus Labuschagne strategically choosing to face Bumrah and shielding Cummins despite the Aussie captain becoming more than a reliable batter was also telling.

At 91/6 on Day 4 in Melbourne when India's ace bowler was breathing fire, Labuschagne stepped in alongside Cummins to stem the bleeding. Australia's No. 10 and 11's stoicism furthered their quest for Rohit to get more overs from Bumrah, who was almost down on his haunches when a no-ball denied him a fifer and the home side's last pair survived.

It's a tactic that Australia's one of many kryptonites from India, Cheteshwar Pujara, applied to script the last two away series wins, facing an aggregate of 2186 deliveries. Although Labuschagne promised to be the Pujara for Australia before the series - he did craft three vital and gritty half-centuries - it's the Baggy Green's collective resilience and defiance that has been one of the decisive factors in going 2-1 up. A joint effort was arguably the need of the hour to stop the fast-bowling demon that Bumrah is.

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Still work to do for Australia

Australia national cricket team. (Credits: Getty)

Australia have been in this position in the 2019 and 2023 Ashes in England, missing landmark series wins even after holding the advantage by the scruff of its neck. Both series victories eluded them, leaving Australia unfulfilled despite coming more than halfway. For the first time in a decade, they won't lose a series to India but that's not what the entire country demands and neither does Cummins.

A 2-1 result will be more than welcomed but Cummins will want nothing less than a 3-1 to avoid needing a favorable outcome in Sri Lanka's fortress of Galle, keeping in mind the World Test Championship (WTC) final prospects.

With India more ripe for taking than they first arrived in Australia due to their dressing room tensions, Cummins and company have more building blocks to cash in.