In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, former Australia spinner Brad Hogg has stated that Mohammed Siraj will be under a lot of pressure during the fourth Test of their five-match series against England on February 23 at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi.
Due to workload issues, Bumrah is expected to miss India’s fourth Test match against England in Ranchi. With 17 wickets taken in the first three Tests of the current series, Jasprit Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker.
In the first innings of the Rajkot Test, Mohammed Siraj bowled a stunning spell, taking four wickets to give India a commanding lead. Brad Hogg is of the opinion that Siraj is mature enough to take on the role of the leader of the bowling attack.
“It is going to cause India some problems”- Brad Hogg on Jasprit Bumrah missing the next test match
Before the fourth Test, Hogg remarked on his YouTube channel that Jasprit Bumrah has been the best pacer in the series and that Siraj will be under pressure in the absence of Bumrah. Six wickets in Hyderabad, nine in Vizag, and two in Rajkot were claimed by Bumrah. Brad Hogg discussed how the hosts would be impacted by Jasprit Bumrah’s absence (3:03):
“Bumrah not playing the next match is obviously going to play in the hands of England. Getting a bit of reverse swing, he is probably the best fast bowler in this Test series. It is going to cause India some problems going into the next game. It is going to put a lot of pressure on Siraj.”
He continued by emphasizing that Bumrah’s workload must be managed and that the Mumbai Indians will struggle in the Indian Premier League without him. Bumrah has been instrumental in the Mumbai Indians’ recent success, amassing 145 wickets in 121 IPL matches.
“You have to manage his workload. As a fast bowler, playing all three formats is the toughest thing in cricket. You need to preserve him for the T20 World Cup around the corner. Mumbai Indians need him too in the IPL. If they miss him, they won’t be doing well either,” Hogg explained.
“I like the way he is backing his bowlers”- Brad Hogg on Rohit Sharma’s captaincy
Additionally, Brad Hogg praised Indian skipper Rohit Sharma for his excellent conduct in Rajkot. Hogg described how Rohit troubled the English batsmen with in-out fields and forced errors.
“I am loving the way Rohit Sharma is captaining this team against England. I like the way he is backing his bowlers. Yes England are going hard against the bowlers, but you got to show the courage to set the right fields and give your bowlers the best chance of picking wickets,” said Brad Hogg (1:35).
For the Ranchi Test, Ollie Robinson and Shoaib Bashir have replaced Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed in England’s lineup. It will be intriguing to watch if India decides to give Akash Deep his debut, go with Mukesh Kumar, or choose an extra spinner in place of Bumrah.