India’s bowlers were put under the spotlight on Day 2 of the ongoing fourth Test in Manchester, as England’s top order wrested back control of the match.
Murali Kartik, the former India spinner and RCB player, came down hard on the visiting side’s bowling effort, saying the attack failed to make the most of the helpful conditions despite Jasprit Bumrah being economical.
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The match, being played at Old Trafford, began on July 24, and England finished Day 2 strongly at 225/2 in reply to India’s 358. The home side now trails by just 133 runs, with eight wickets still remaining, and is on course to seal the series 3-1 unless India mounts a strong fightback.
Was Jasprit Bumrah’s impact missing on Day 2 of IND vs ENG 4th?
While Jasprit Bumrah didn’t leak runs, Kartik noted that something was missing in his bowling on Thursday.
He explained on Cricbuzz that Bumrah’s usual bite wasn’t quite there. Though his figures looked neat on paper, Kartik believed the speedster wasn’t creating the same impact he’s known for.
"When India came to bowl the sun was out. So what? Indian bowlers have bowled and done very well in hotter conditions. They were very inconsistent with their lines today," Kartik said.
"Even with Bumrah, there was not that sharpness that we usually see, but despite that he was economical. But look at the economies of other bowlers. This is not okay given the conditions," he added.
Murali Kartik says India wasted the best bowling conditions of the series
Interestingly, Kartik mentioned that Day 2 in Manchester had offered more swing and seam than any other day so far in this series.
According to him, India’s pace unit should’ve done better on a surface that offered them a rare opportunity to trouble the English top order.
"The wickets had been flat till on now in this series. But in this match, I thought today there was the most swing, swing and seam. And on that day if the fast bowlers do not bowl properly it can get very tough," Kartik said.
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Kartik was especially critical of how the team didn’t provide Bumrah with proper support. He stressed that no matter how good Bumrah is, if there’s no pressure from the other end, India will keep falling short.
"When Bumrah is bowling from one end, why is there no support act from the other? This will not work. All the bowlers should be disappointed with themselves. India will have to think about this," he added.
With the series standing at 2-1 in England’s favour, the hosts are in a commanding position to close it out in Manchester.