An analysis of Bumrah-Siraj's massive workload in Test cricket as Indian pace struggles for depth

India Gazette

4 hours ago

London [UK], June 27 (ANI): As India look to navigate through the remainder of the five-match England Test series, plenty of eyeballs will be on the workload of their frontline pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, particularly the former, who have thrown down the majority of overs for the Asian giant since the start of 2020 and it is their wickets on which India's success hinges on.
With Bumrah having a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the Leeds Test and going wicketless in the second, he threw down almost 44 overs in the first Test. He is set to play only three Tests this series. The question is, will he play? especially with Siraj not doing so well since the tour to Australia.
Bumrah's inclusion is something way beyond selection strategy as it is his action which places strain on his body, particularly his back. The workload management in his case does not become only tactical, but something of a massive importance.
After the Sydney match which Bumrah left midway, Bumrah had a three-month injury layoff, which caused him to miss the ICC Champions Trophy won by India and four Indian Premier League (IPL). In 12 matches for MI, he bowled 47.2 overs, taking 18 wickets. The first Leeds Test was his first international outing and resulted in a massive workload, as he bowled 43.4 overs across these five days, as per Wisden.
While the team has decided to have Bumrah play just three Tests, it begs another question: What about Siraj?
While Bumrah's workload has been a massive topic of debate among fans and experts, Siraj's workload has gone unnoticed in shadows of a more celebrated, popular figure. Since the start of 2020, Siraj has bowled a total of 625.5 overs in Tests across 19 Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa (SENA countries), as compared to Bumrah's 751.2 in 22 Tests, with 101 wickets at an average of 20.95(6th-highest across the worldwide level), as per Wisden.
This year itself, Siraj has delivered 69 overs across two SENA Tests, including 41 at Leeds. Unlike Bumrah, he is often played or is expected to play through a series without any rotation.
Now, taking into account Tests all over the world, Bumrah has delivered 1030.1 overs, as compared to Siraj's 925.2 overs. Among the 12 other Indian pacers used since 2020, none of them have touched the 500-over mark and have a combined wicket count of just 188, as compared to 250 scalps taken by Bumrah-Siraj.
There is a massive over-reliance on these two and lack of depth in Indian fast bowling, particularly for SENA countries, which are more pace dominant. Australia and England have been able to enjoy this depth, often debuting new faces and giving chances to domestic cricket veterans. But the same is not true for India.
Since 2020, Bumrah has delivered 25.16 per cent of total pace overs of Team India, highest among all countries. Siraj is at number sixth, with a total percentage of 22.38. Bumrah has bowled an average of 34.15 overs per Test, while the number is 32.9 for Siraj.
India's third and fourth seamers at Leeds, Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur delivered a combined 51 overs, getting just seven wickets. Prasidh's expensive economy rate often let England score easy runs, while Shardul bowled barely 16 overs.
This workload has increased only since last year. Since 2024, across conditions, Indian pacers have bowled a total of 1,112.2 overs. Only two pacers have managed above 150 overs, Bumrah with 410.4 and Siraj with 355.3. These two have delivered 69.3 per cent of the total balls by Indian pacers.
During the ICC World Test Championship, the scope for missing Tests is less as India play more against likes of England and Australia. Including the ongoing England series, India will play six more away games in SENA during the 2025-27 cycle, including five Tests against Australia at home in early 2027. So, preservation of pacers and their workload management is even more crucial.
What will be India's bowling combination during the second Edgbaston Test from July 2, will India play left-armer Arshdeep Singh, spinner Kuldeep Singh, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy or seamer Akash Deep? Will Bumrah miss out? Only time will tell. (ANI)