Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik expressed his frustration following Day 2 of the first Test between India and England, highlighting major concerns about India's fast bowling depth. While Jasprit Bumrah stood out by taking all three wickets on June 21, the rest of the Indian pace attack failed to create any significant impact, allowing England to reach 209/3 in just 49 overs.
Bumrah bowled 13 of those overs and remained India’s only wicket-taking threat, while Mohammed Siraj bowled 14, Prasidh Krishna 10, and Shardul Thakur only 3. Karthik criticized the heavy dependence on Bumrah, calling the gap between him and the rest of the pace unit “too much of a void.”
He pointed out that England’s batters seemed aware of this disparity and simply waited out Bumrah's spells, knowing the remaining bowlers posed little threat. Karthik warned that this over-reliance was placing additional pressure on Bumrah and on the captain, who keeps turning to him whenever wickets are needed.
Karthik added that Bumrah’s body needs to be managed better: “He always does it for you, so you get into that habit. But the others need to be ready to step up, show intent, and present their plans to the captain.”
Workload concerns are not new for Bumrah. During the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he played all matches and suffered a back issue by the final Test. Bumrah has since indicated that he will limit himself to only three home Tests to prolong his career.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri echoed Karthik’s concerns, warning after Day 2 that India could be walking into trouble if no other fast bowler steps up. “Bumrah can’t do everything,” Shastri said. “He is your strike bowler in every spell, but he needs support. Someone else needs to raise their hand and share the load.”
As the series continues, India's inability to back up Bumrah could hurt them, especially with many crucial international fixtures on the horizon.
