If not for Jasprit Bumrah magic, IND vs AUS Test series could have been 4-0 instead of 3-1

Jasprit Bumrah has undoubtedly been the most valuable player for India in the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Well, MVP is an understatement, to be honest. Rather, the pacer should rightfully be dubbed as the lone warrior for the entire team though the five-match series. Were it not for his 32-wicket haul in the tour, the visitors could have stared at a 4-0 defeat instead of finishing with 1-3. The team’s over dependency on Bumrah shows how vulnerable the entire line-up is – from hapless batters to bowlers who couldn’t even do enough to support Bumrah.

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IND vs AUS: Indian pace attack without Jasprit Bumrah is quite useless, Sydney gives enough proof

A victorious start, thanks to Bumrah

India got off to a victorious start in IND vs AUS series by clinching a mammoth 295-run win in Perth. A five-wicket haul in the 1st innings followed by a three-wicket haul in the 2nd from Bumrah ignited hopes for securing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy easily. The match saw Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj contribute by bagging wickets while the rest of the bowling line-up did whatever they can to support Bumrah. Apart from the pacer’s excellent captaincy, his spell across both the innings was crucial for India to secure the win, having been able to find the right breakthroughs at the right time. Once again, in the very first match, Bumrah showed why he is the best in the business while others were far behind.

Face-saver in Adelaide ft Boom Boom

The Indian bowling line-up had to bowl full-fledged in just one innings in IND vs AUS 2nd Test in Adelaide which was a Day-Night affair. Bumrah was again at the forefront, picking up 4 wickets by dismantling the top-order comprising of Nathan McSweeney, Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith. His fourth victim was Australia skipper Pat Cummins. Giving credit where it is due, Siraj aptly supported his counterpart by grabbing four wickets as well. But thanks to a batting collapse, India were handed a 10-wicket thrashing, losing the momentum they had gained in Perth as the series stood levelled.

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Saving India of Brisbane blues

If ICT fans thought things would get any better in IND vs AUS 3rd Test, it clearly didn’t. Once again Bumrah played a crucial role, this time in saving the side from Brisbane blues with his six-wicket haul in the 1st innings followed by a three-for in the 2nd that helped India draw the match. The premium pacer once again proved to be the best as he wreaked havoc on the Australian top-order in the 1st innings. By this time, Bumrah had ensured that he had made Khawaja and McSweeney his bunnies, leading to the latter being dropped for the remainder of the series. He also got rid of centurions Travis Head and Steve Smith, providing damage control for India. In the 2nd innings, he once again dismantled the top-order but managed to finish with just 3 scalps. The result? India were powered to a draw at the end of the game, saving them from embarrassment.

Boxing Day fireworks

Bumrah bagged nine wickets in the IND vs AUS Boxing Day Test, the only silver lining for India as they were handed a 184-run defeat. Head, Marsh, Khawaja and Lyon were his victims in the 1st innings. With a spell of 4/99, he stood out while the rest of the pacers flopped. In the second innings, he grabbed a fifer, this time wreaking havoc on the middle and lower order. Siraj managed to get three wickets, but it wasn’t enough as the hosts secured a comfortable win, once again thanks to India’s batting order fizzling out.

Anti-climax in Sydney

Bumrah would have wanted to finish off the series on a victorious note as he returned as captain for the final Test. However, the match pretty much proved that the Indian bowling line-up sans Bumrah was almost close to nothing. With 2/33 in the 1st innings, the captain helped India reduce Australia to a total that left them still trailing India. The same story repeated once again – batters flopped putting India in a dangerous position. To make matters worse, he was forced to stay off the field in the second session of the 1st innings after suffering a back spasm. While Prasidh Krishna and Siraj tried their best to compensate for Bumrah’s absence, they couldn’t succeed as Australia clinched the elusive Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years.