Even the best of players have a poor day. Jasprit Bumrah is not an exception. However, the way Bumrah bowled on Day 4 of the fourth Test left a lot to be desired. In fact, it was the first time ever in his career that he conceded over 100 runs in an innings. Bumrah ended the first innings with figures of 33-5-112-2. Mohammed Siraj was no better as he returned with figures of 30-4-140-1. If BCCI’s pre-Tour announcement is to be believed, Bumrah will not play the fifth Test as he has already three Tests.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is one of the commentators, had a stern take on both players.
“That’s why the game’s called Test Cricket. Yeah, it is a test. It’s a physical test, it’s a mental test and a challenge. There was always concerns about Bumrah and Siraj really getting through this Test Series with as many games under their belt as possible. You know, this is, I think, the fourth game now for Siraj. So, yeah, they’re starting to take its toll. There’s no doubt about that,” Ponting said on SKY Sports.
“Bumrah did look a bit flat right from the start of this game, to be honest. You look at his pace. His pace has been sort of 82, 83 miles an hour on average right the way through this game, which is probably three or four or five miles down on what he normally is. But you’ve got to give credit to the England batters as well. I thought Duckett and Crawley at the top really put this Indian bowling attack under a lot of pressure from the start.”
“Starting to take its toll”
Ricky Ponting discusses the fitness of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/084VZT4Ukw— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 26, 2025
Jasprit Bumrah may become the next high-profile cricketer to retire from Tests after Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin because the world’s No. 1 bowler is “losing the battle against his body”, feels former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif.
The 31-year-old looked off-colour on day three of the ongoing fourth Test against England and bagged the solitary wicket of Jamie Smith after bowling 28 overs.
“Jasprit Bumrah, I think, might not be seen playing in the upcoming Test matches, and it is possible that he might take retirement as well,” cricketer-turned-commentator Kaif posted in a video on his verified X handle.
“Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have stepped away, (Ravichandran) Ashwin has also retired. And now, it seems, it’s Bumrah’s turn. Indian cricket fans may need to start getting used to this. I believe you might have to get used to watching Tests without Bumrah from now on.” “I hope and pray I’m wrong. But from what I saw in this Test, it looks like he’s not enjoying himself at all. He’s lost the battle with his body. The spirit and passion are the same, but the body just isn’t keeping up. And what can you do in such a situation,” said Kaif.
Following Rohit’s retirement, the Indian think-tank’s first choice for captaincy was Bumrah but he “no” to the job to manage his workload.
“Yes, the BCCI was looking at me for leadership. But then I had to say no. It’s not fair for the team as well that in a five Test-match series, someone is leading in three matches and someone else in two matches. It’s not fair on the team and I always wanted to put the team first,” Bumrah had said earlier in an interview.
Bumrah, who has held the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test bowling rankings since 2024, has been grappling with fitness issues since the start of the year.
He was unable to bowl in the second innings of the fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Test in Sydney earlier this year due to a back injury and he also missed both the Champions Trophy and the start of IPL 2025.
Since then, the India pace spearhead has been cautious about managing his workload, opting to play only “three Tests” on the ongoing tour of England.
Bumrah featured in the series-opener at Headingley, where he consistently clocked over 140 kmph and returned impressive figures of 5/83 in the first innings.
He then sat out the second Test at Edgbaston, which India won, before returning for the third Test at Lord’s.
At Lord’s, although his pace had dropped noticeably, he still managed to claim a second successive five-wicket haul, finishing with seven wickets in the match.
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“Starting to take its toll”
Ricky Ponting discusses the fitness of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/084VZT4Ukw
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 26, 2025
