Jasprit Bumrah's sluggishness mirrors India's slow starts

By the start of 2018, Jasprit Bumrah had made quite a splash in international white-ball cricket. At that juncture, the pacer was arguably the best fast bowler in limited-overs cricket and with a unique skill-set, was also tipped to take the Test arena by storm.

Unsurprisingly, India handed Jasprit Bumrah his maiden Test cap on the tour to South Africa, with the seamer repaying his side’s faith, bagging 14 wickets across three matches. More importantly, Jasprit Bumrah played a massive role in the only red-ball success India enjoyed in that series, highlighting that he, akin to expectations, was just as much of a match-winner in Test cricket.

A trip to the British shores followed in July and August 2018 and Jasprit Bumrah fared relatively well, despite not playing the entirety of the five-game rubber. He returned with 14 wickets from 3 matches and with a burgeoning reputation.

A few months later, he perhaps reached the crescendo of his nascent Test career when he bowled India to victory in the historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under. Against Australia, he picked up 21 scalps in 4 fixtures and in a series that consisted of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, he was easily the best bowler on display.

Jasprit Bumrah's Test career has been marred by injuries

Since then, though, injuries have impeded his Test career, meaning that he hasn’t been able to participate in most of the red-ball assignments India have played. To place things into context, Jasprit Bumrah only played his first home Test against England in February 2021 – another multi-game series (4-game) where he only took the field twice.

Bumrah didn't play the 4th Test of the series Down Under in 2021

Hence, there have been murmurs around Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness. Not just because he has been prone to them (obviously), but also because when fit, he is, under most circumstances, India’s best fast bowler.

It wasn’t much a surprise then that India put all their eggs in Jasprit Bumrah’s basket and entrusted him with leading the Men In Blue’s attack in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand. After all, he was (and still is) considered India’s most potent bowling weapon and one who has all the ingredients to be an all-time great.

Yet, rather unfortunately for India, Jasprit Bumrah was hardly at the races in Southampton – a fact magnified by him returning wicket-less. To place things into further context, he, along with Colin de Grandhomme (a stop-gap solution for the Kiwis) were the only bowlers to have achieved this undesirable feat. That it happened on a track that seemed perfect for fast bowling, completely engulfed India’s troubles.

Though the initial reaction might be to term Jasprit Bumrah’s performances as an aberration, considering his immeasurable talent and pedigree, a rather worrying pattern sticks out. A pattern that could, to an extent, also explain why India have struggled to impose themselves in the first match (or only match, in this case) of a series, both home and away.

Since the start of 2018, India have played five series away from home against SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia). Of those, they’ve won the first game of the rubber only once (against Australia in 2018-19). On all other occasions, they’ve wilted in the opening fixture. Though they came back to emerge victorious against Australia in 2019-20 too, it just highlights their propensity for sluggish starts.

In fact, of the four matches that India had lost in this current World Test Championship cycle prior to the final, only a solitary defeat (against New Zealand in 2020) came after the first game of the series. The other reverses, namely against Australia at Adelaide, England at Chennai and New Zealand at Wellington came in the opening encounter.

Interestingly, Jasprit Bumrah played each of those matches, aggregating a grand total of 7 wickets. Worryingly though, he also conceded 278 runs, which effectively corresponds to an average of 39.71.

As far Jasprit Bumrah’s Test career is concerned, the numbers also paint a similar story, for he boasts an average higher than his usual average in the first match of a series.

While his career average, rather remarkably, is still 23.21, his average in the opening match of a series zings up to 24.65. His economy rate and strike rate is also slightly higher, 2.82 and 52.4 as compared to 2.69 and 51.7.

This trend though, takes a turn for the worse when speaking about ODI cricket – a format long considered as Jasprit Bumrah’s stronger suit.

Overall, he averages 25.33 having taken 108 wickets in 67 matches at a strike rate 32.6 and an economy rate of 4.65. In the first match of a series, the average shoots up to 37.20, with him having only accounted for 15 batters in 12 innings. The economy rate is significantly swollen (5.51), whereas his strike rate (40.4) is also not as inspiring.

In the games that immediately follow the opener, in Test cricket, the statistics improve extraordinarily. In the second match of a series, his average is 18.88, with 26 wickets in 10 innings. Moreover, his strike rate is dramatically better (44.8 compared to 52.4). In the third Test of a rubber, the numbers are equally brilliant - 26 wickets in 9 innings at an average of 18.15 and at a strike rate of 38.9.

Jasprit Bumrah's bowling averages in different matches of a series

Thus, there is quite a bit of evidence to suggest that Jasprit Bumrah takes time to warm up to his task and that he is much more effective post the opening game of any series.

A possible explanation could be the all-format cricket Jasprit Bumrah plays, as opposed to the likes of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. In the process, the Mumbai Indians pacer has to keep changing his lines and lengths throughout, for the modus operandi in one format doesn’t always translate into success in the other.

In his final spell Bumrah showed glimpses of form. With a little more red ball cricket behind him, he could be a force in the England tests. As could Ashwin and Shami who bowled beautifully throughout this test. But India's top order needs to be more consistent.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) June 23, 2021

Furthermore, an argument could be made that Jasprit Bumrah just needs a teething period to get accustomed to his surroundings and to devise a methodology that would work optimally for him.

However, in an environment such as the WTC final, where one Test is the difference between being inaugural winners and another also-ran, Jasprit Bumrah’s tendency to turn up late for the party hurt India dearly.

Not just because most other pacers fulfilled their roles and responsibilities, but also because Jasprit Bumrah was the spearhead of the Indian bowling attack – someone who was expected to be India’s answer to Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee.

Congratulations New Zealand on becoming the inaugural ICC Test Champions. For India not scoring atleast 300 in the first innings and the form of Jasprit Bumrah were a big factor. #IndvNZ pic.twitter.com/QAROCc5pdU

— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) June 23, 2021

If one were to be crude, this particular proclivity could be the only chink in Jasprit Bumrah’s armour, for he, apart from boasting the requisite bowling skill-set, also possesses the craft, guile and the nous to outwit opposition batters.

Having said that, it would be intriguing to see what shape Jasprit Bumrah’s Test journey takes henceforth. Not just because a massive five-Test series against England awaits, but also because a flicker of pessimism around his performance would’ve been generated, post the WTC final.

Throughout his international career, Jasprit Bumrah has showcased the grit and the determination required to tide over these troughs. And, when he does, one can be sure that he would cast himself as one of the premier pacers on the planet.

Can Bumrah turn things around in the England series?

Until then, though, a slight asterisk has been unwittingly attached to his career. Most tellingly, that has also mirrored the way India have huffed and puffed at the start of a series or in one-off games such as the WTC final.

Jasprit Bumrah will most certainly find a solution for it, make no mistake. Yet, nothing can dispute the fact that this is one of the greater anomalies in world cricket, for a bowler blessed with as much skill as Jasprit Bumrah, so often finds it tough to get into his groove instantly.