The balance of India's Test squad against England reflects hard lessons from the Australia series, where over-reliance on Jasprit Bumrah led to his breakdown, exposing structural flaws in their bowling strategy, writes Sarah Waris.
At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, India’s bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was on his knees – literally and figuratively. After bowling yet another exhausting spell, Rohit Sharma asked him to go once more. “Bass ab, nahi lag raha zor [enough now, don't have more strength]” was his reply, summing up not only his physical condition, but the state of India’s bowling attack that relied primarily on his magic.
A back spasm in the next match forced him out mid-game, shattering any remaining hope of an India fightback. The injury sidelined him for nearly four months, including the Champions Trophy, and exposed the over-reliance India had developed on their talismanic quick.
What didn't work for India in Australia?
Across nine innings in the five-match series, Bumrah bowled 151.2 overs, the second-most among Indian bowlers, only marginally behind Mohammed Siraj’s 157.1. But these numbers reveal only part of the story. Bumrah picked up 32 wickets at a strike rate of 28.3, while Siraj managed 20 wickets at 52.8. No other Indian bowler took more than six wickets.
Akash Deep was the only other seamer to bowl even 45 overs (77.5). The rest of the attack barely registered on the impact radar. Nitish Kumar Reddy, selected as the seam-bowling all-rounder, bowled just 44 overs across the series and picked up five wickets. It meant Bumrah, who has dealt with several injuries in his career already, was called upon more frequently to change the direction of the game, which led to shorter breaks between spells. It took a toll on his body.
India’s squad selection for the Australia tour had hinted at a batting-heavy strategy even before the series began. The 19-member side had five specialist quicks and Reddy as the sixth pace option. There was no Shardul Thakur, who was returning from an injury and had endured a poor domestic season, and the selectors seemed to back Reddy for the lower-order seam-bowling utility Thakur had previously offered.
But the plan did not quite work out. Reddy, who had played 23 first-class matches and had a bowling average of 27 before the tour, proved to be ineffective and expensive. He conceded 4.31 runs an over, and the combination India fielded in most Tests – with three seamers, Reddy, and one spinner (which became two for the last two Tests) placed an unsustainable burden on Bumrah.
The spinners played a limited role as well. Across four Tests, India’s spin attack collectively bowled 118 overs, fewer than what Bumrah bowled alone. In the fifth Test at SCG, where India played both Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, the former did not bowl in the first innings, while Jadeja bowled three overs. In the second, Sundar bowled one while Jadeja was not asked to the ball at all despite the team looking toothless without Bumrah.
India had only Siraj and Prasidh Krishna to shoulder the load, with no genuine wicket-taking option in reserve. In effect, they built their XI around batting depth, assuming the bowling would take care of itself, so long as Bumrah was there with his tricks.
It was a far cry from India’s previous blueprint, where wickets were viewed as a currency to win Tests. That formula had seen them dominate at home and remain competitive abroad. In Australia, that belief seemed to falter, and so did their campaign.
Will India go back to five specialist bowlers in England?
For the England series, India have named an 18-member squad featuring six specialist seamers, with Thakur returning after an excellent Ranji Trophy season, where he scalped 35 wickets at 22.62 and made 505 runs with one hundred. It is not merely a reward for form, but also appears to be a course correction.
Early signs suggest India are leaning towards fielding three specialist quicks, along with Thakur and Jadeja. Thakur’s presence, steady at No.8 and capable of bowling long, effective spells, offers a more balanced structure. If Reddy plays, it’s likely to be as a pure batter in the top six after impressing with the bat in Australia rather than as a frontline all-rounder. Jadeja is the other all-rounder in the side, holding onto his role for the control he offers, his ability to bowl long spells in helpful conditions, and the batting depth he adds down the order.
This shift in approach was also visible in the India A series against England Lions, where the team composition closely resembled what the senior side might adopt. Thakur was used at No.7 in both matches, supported by three specialist seamers and a single spinner – Harsh Dubey in the first and Tanush Kotian in the second.
While A-team selections don’t always mirror the senior side’s strategies, they often serve as testing grounds for future combinations. That India opted for a four-pronged seam attack and chose to bat their all-rounders (Thakur and Reddy) higher up the order in both games is a stark departure from the Australia A series last year, where India had stuck to four specialist bowlers and leaned on Reddy as the fifth option. It was a balance that the senior team eventually deployed.
It is the ability to take 20 wickets that wins Test matches, and boosting that department should be the only logical step. India will still rely on Bumrah – which team with him in the XI wouldn’t – but by playing the extra seamer, they will also have enough reinforcements for when he needs a long break to re-energise between overs.
It took a Bumrah injury and a painful reminder of what over-reliance on one bowler can cost to prompt a change under the new regime. A balanced XI might not always produce instant magic, but it helps keep the most valuable players in the fight for longer. That, as the Australia tour showed, can be the difference between holding on and falling apart.
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