Ravi Shastri warns of Bumrah overuse, slams bowlers’ Headingley flop

LEEDS: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri on Saturday slammed the Indian bowling unit for its lacklustre performance and inability to take wickets during the ongoing Headingley Test against England.

According to Indian media, Shastri who was visibly disappointed, singled out Jasprit Bumrah as the only bowler performing up to the mark, while sharply criticising the rest of the attack for failing to support him.

"There's a big difference in levels. The concern is Bumrah and what his workload will be as the series progresses because he is the one man who is expected to pick wickets every spell he bowls," Shastri remarked.

He raised concerns about the lack of support from Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna, emphasising that overburdening Bumrah could prove costly for India in the remainder of the series.

"I just hope someone at the other end puts their hands up," he added, highlighting the urgent need for the other bowlers to shoulder responsibility and ease the pressure on Bumrah.

India started day two in a dominant position at 324/2, with Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill in full flow and on course for a massive first-innings total.

However, a dramatic lower-order collapse saw the last seven wickets fall for just 41 runs, leaving India all out for 471.

With the ball Bumrah once again shouldered the burden almost single-handedly. 

He finished the day with impressive figures of 3/48 in 13 overs, dismissing Zak Crawley in his first over with a superb delivery and later removing Ben Duckett and Joe Root — the latter for the 10th time in Test cricket.

In contrast, Siraj, Shardul and Prasidh struggled throughout, going wicketless and conceding a combined 154 runs, failing to maintain consistent pressure despite India’s imposing first-innings score.