After BGT success, will Bumrah continue his red-hot form across all formats during England tour?

ANI June 18, 2025 259 views

Jasprit Bumrah enters the England Tests fresh off a stellar IPL season but faces the challenge of leading India's inexperienced pace attack. His stellar record—37 wickets in 9 England Tests—makes him India's key weapon in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's absence. Another strong series could cement his legacy as India’s greatest fast bowler in SENA nations. All eyes are on whether he can replicate his 2021-22 heroics against the Three Lions.

"Bumrah is a national treasure" – Virat Kohli
London, June 18: As India prepares to take on England in the first Test at Leeds, all eyes will be on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The 31-year-old, who is going to experience the rigours of international cricket following a stunning Indian Premier League (IPL) stint for Mumbai Indians (MI) after an injury lay-off, carries on his hands not only his favourite weapon, but also the fate of an under-transition Indian cricket team without its three heavyweights.

Key Points

1

Bumrah has 37 wickets in 9 Tests in England

2

Leads inexperienced pace attack with Siraj, Krishna

3

Aims for 10th five-wicket haul in SENA nations

4

Record 23 scalps in 2021-22 England tour

The first Test will kick-start at Leeds from June 20, and watching a Team India without Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin would be a sad sight, no doubt, despite the exciting potential this new-look squad possesses. Bumrah, the "national treasure" as labelled by Virat, is to be protected at all costs, and the number of Tests he is going to play is not certain, with skipper Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir choosing to stay tight-lipped about it during the pre-departure presser.

Unlike the IPL, Bumrah would not have the privilege of having experienced campaigners like Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar by his side. Instead, he would lead a young Indian pace line-up, featuring Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Akash Deep, who had combined test experience of 46 tests, just one more than his own count. All-rounders Shardul Thakur or Nitish Kumar Reddy could offer a bit of a breather to the main bowlers.

Bumrah has a stunning record in England against the Three Lions, having taken 37 scalps in just nine matches at an average of 23.78 and a strike rate of 51.9, which are the best among the top-ten Indian bowlers in England. His best bowling figures are 5/64, with two five-wicket hauls. Out of 15 innings, only once has Bumrah gone wicketless against England at their home.

During his first tour to England in 2018, he took 14 wickets in three matches at an average of 25.92, with best bowling figures of 5/85, which sealed India a 203-run win at Nottingham.

The next tour during 2021-22 was a one to remember as he topped the bowling charts with 23 scalps in five games at an average of 22.47, with best bowling figures of 5/64. During the last Test at Edgbaston in 2022, which was rescheduled due to COVID-19, he also made his captaincy debut, though in a losing effort.

Overall, against England at home and away, Bumrah has taken 60 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 22.16, with best bowling figures of 6/45.

Bumrah is coming to the England shores with supreme confidence and statistics behind him. He had an all-timer series in Australia, taking 32 wickets across five matches at an average of 13.06, with three five-wicket hauls and two four-wicket hauls. His lone warrior effort in Australia itself is enough to make him a Hall of Fame worthy act, but another brilliant outing in England could take his legacy as a fast bowler several notches above.

The pacer is more than just his statistics, with his ability to generate masterful swing and toe-crushing yorkers, create pressure and fear in his opponents, deliver a clutch bowling spell and carry the entire nation's expectations on his back with a calm smile on his face making him a valuable addition to the Indian group.

Another five-wicket haul would take him to 10 fifers in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA) nations, making him the first Indian bowler to do so. Also, five more wickets would help him reach 150 wickets in SENA, which is another first for an Indian.

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.
Bumrah is our bowling equivalent of Kohli - absolute match winner! But I'm worried about workload management. ECB will prepare green tops knowing he's our only world-class pacer. Hope the youngsters step up to support him 🤞 #BoomBoomBumrah
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Priya M.
His stats in England are phenomenal! But test cricket is different from IPL. Hope he adjusts quickly to the longer format. That yorker to Ollie Pope last series was pure magic 🔥 Need more of those!
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Amit S.
Why is BCCI risking Bumrah in all formats? We need him fit for the Australia series later this year. Should have rested him for T20s after IPL. Short-term gains vs long-term planning!
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Sneha R.
That 2018 Nottingham spell was legendary! But England have new batters now - Duckett, Crawley play differently. Bumrah will need to adapt his lengths. Excited to see this battle! 💪
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Vikram J.
Bumrah's fitness is more crucial than his wickets this series. We can't afford another injury before WTC. Hope Gambhir-Gill combo manages him wisely. Siraj needs to share the workload properly.
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Neha P.
His calmness under pressure is what I admire most! Remember how he outsmarted Root last time? Hope he mentors Arshdeep too - that left-arm angle could be deadly in England conditions.

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