Brook , Bumrah performs as 1st India v Eng Test is delicately poised

 

Indian cricket fans are left wondering—what if Jasprit Bumrah wasn't playing this Test? Without him, the Indian bowling unit looked toothless. While Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj did take five wickets between them, most came through strokes of luck. England’s batters perished while attempting big shots, rather than being outwitted by quality bowling. Bumrah, on the other hand, reaffirmed why he is considered the best Test bowler in the world right now. Every time he came on to bowl, he created pressure and opportunities.

However, one issue persisted throughout Day 3—India's poor fielding, especially in terms of dropped catches. India put down four catches in England’s innings, with Yashasvi Jaiswal dropping two of them. Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant dropped one each. And India paid the price. Ben Duckett was dropped twice and went on to score 62. Ollie Pope, also reprieved twice, converted his chances into a century—he made 106. Harry Brook was dismissed for zero by Bumrah, only for the delivery to be called a no-ball. Brook was dropped twice more and ended up scoring 99. Had those catches been taken, the match situation would have been entirely different. Instead of just a 6-run lead, India could have had a 100+ run advantage. Notably, this was India’s worst fielding performance in a Test innings in the last five years.

Traditionally, England offers assistance to pace bowlers, but India’s fast bowlers—excluding Bumrah—failed to take advantage. Prasidh Krishna conceded 128 runs in 20 overs, at an economy of 6.40. Siraj gave away 122 runs in 27 overs, at 4.50 per over. With both leaking runs from one end, Bumrah was left to carry the bowling attack alone. Despite not being given long spells—usually just 4 or 5 overs—he still managed to pick wickets. But without support from the other end, even Bumrah couldn’t build sustained pressure. As a result, despite his breakthroughs, England’s scoring rate remained high.

Bumrah eventually finished with 5 wickets for 83 runs in 24.4 overs—his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, 12 of which have come overseas. Only Kapil Dev has achieved a similar feat. Four catches were dropped off Bumrah’s bowling in this innings. Had those been held, England’s innings could have ended much earlier. Still, it was Bumrah who eventually wrapped up the English innings.

Among England’s batters, Harry Brook stood out. He capitalized on the dropped chances but fell one short of a century—dismissed for 99 while attempting a pull shot. England’s lower order also frustrated India with small yet effective partnerships. In stark contrast, India had lost their last seven wickets for just 41 runs in their first innings, while England’s last seven wickets added 240. That proved to be the game-changing passage.

Shubman Gill’s captaincy also came under the microscope. Shardul Thakur, playing as the fourth pacer, bowled only 6 overs in the entire innings. Thakur is a bowling all-rounder with the ability to swing the new ball and had performed well in the practice match. Yet Gill chose not to utilize him, continuing instead with Prasidh and Siraj even when they weren't delivering. If Thakur wasn’t going to be used as a bowler, then Nitish Reddy could have been a better pick as an additional batter. This tactical decision by Gill was questioned by experts including Sunil Gavaskar and Dinesh Karthik, who hinted that India’s new Test captain may have erred in judgment.

Coming out to bat in the second innings with a slim 6-run lead, Yashasvi Jaiswal failed again. Perhaps burdened by the  dropped catches earlier, he edged a delivery from Brydon Carse and was caught behind. All eyes were on debutant Sai Sudharsan at No. 3. He looked far more confident this time, putting the first-innings duck behind him. He played 48 balls and scored 30, showing composure and willingness to play his shots. However, once again, he fell to temptation—trying to flick Ben Stokes through mid-wicket, only to be caught.

KL Rahul, however, looked assured. He had a decent start in the first innings, scoring 42 before nicking one outside off. In the second innings, he came out with more clarity—avoiding reckless shots but punishing loose deliveries. As the most experienced batter in this Indian lineup, Rahul’s form will be vital if India hopes to win this match.

Play had to be halted due to rain after the scheduled time, and no further action was possible. At stumps, India was 90 for 2, with Rahul unbeaten on 47 and Gill on 6. They will begin Day 4 with a lead of 96 runs.