India pacer Prasidh Krishna heaped praise on fellow senior fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s leadership within the Test bowling unit. His comments come ahead of the second Test in Birmingham, as India look to recover from their five-wicket defeat in Leeds, where the bowlers failed to defend a 371-run target. Despite Bumrah’s five-wicket haul in the first innings, the attack crumbled under pressure on the final day as England’s top order raced to victory.
Speaking to reporters in Birmingham, Prasidh underlined how Bumrah has played a vital role beyond just his bowling—constantly guiding and motivating the rest of the attack, including during the build-up to the series.
“What a culture we guys have created. We are learning from each other, no matter who’s there or who’s around. And with Booms (Bumrah) around, he’s been talking to all of us throughout, even before coming here. At least for me, I’ve been part of this team for a few years now, so the conversations are still going on. One thing you cannot get is experience — you have to go through it yourself. And yeah, I think all of us are excited,” Prasidh said.
However, the numbers told a different story in Leeds. Prasidh himself finished with figures of 3 for 128 in the first innings and 2 for 92 in the second, conceding runs at an economy of 6.40 and 6.13 respectively. Bumrah, after his 5/45 in the first innings, went wicketless in the second while conceding 57 runs in 19 overs at an economy of 3. Mohammed Siraj gave away 51 in 14 overs at 3.64, while Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja failed to build any sustained pressure.
To add to India’s challenge, reports suggest Bumrah might not be available for the Birmingham Test. With a long series in mind, the team management is reportedly considering resting him as part of workload management and injury prevention. The plan could see Bumrah play only three of the five Tests. If he is rested, the onus will be on the rest of the attack to rise to the occasion and deliver in a must-win contest.
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