In the past week, no cricket discussion, be it in expert panels, friendly discussions, fans’ chat rooms, must’ve escaped the mention of one phrase: workload management. The impact Jasprit Bumrah has had on world cricket, with his wicket-taking presence, is massive. And so is his absence from India’s second Test against England at Edgbaston. Bumrah is undoubtedly one of the best pacers India has ever produced. He has made key contributions by nailing yorkers as well as controlling the flow of runs. But the current scheme of things has sparked conversations among former cricketers, including Australia women’s Alyssa Healy.
Alyssa Healy Joins Debate on Jasprit Bumrah Missing the 2nd Test
While most discussions have swung to extremes, some even suggesting that Bumrah should’ve played the ongoing Edgbaston Test, Healy has sympathised with the bowler. In other words, she has also criticised India’s overdependence on a single bowler.
“I find that sad that that’s what we talk about,” said Healy on the Willow Talk podcast.
Refreshing our memory, India lost the first Test due to a weak bowling show on the last day in Leeds. England chased 371 with ease while the Indian bowling line-up managed to take only five wickets. While the 31-year-old pacer took a fifer in the first innings, he went wicketless in the second. Critics slammed Gill’s captaincy for not handing the new ball to Bumrah while the rest of the pace battery looked out of colour.
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The glorified responsibilities on Bumrah, leading to an over-reliance on the Ahmedabad pacer, must’ve further led to weakening confidence of the other bowlers, including Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and Prasidh Krishna. While Bumrah may be a national treasure, Healy questioned if that’s the right approach and the only way the nation can win matches.
“We feel like that’s the only way India are going to win the game and I feel that is a really sad way to look at it because they had five hundreds in that game, one guy got a fifer. England had one guy make a hundred and a couple of partnerships won the game,” said Healy. “England won because the team played well, India individually played really well.”
England hold a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.
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