'Didn’t win a Test match,' Haddin questions Bumrah’s impact in England

Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin on Wednesday gave a blunt assessment of Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s performance in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, suggesting that while Bumrah bowled well, he ultimately failed to make a match-winning impact.

Speaking on a YouTube podcast, Haddin acknowledged Bumrah’s class but pointed out that the Indian pace spearhead did not win a single Test during the series.

“India can take a lot from this, they can still compete without Bumrah. Life goes on. The other bowlers found a way. India has so much bowling talent,” said Haddin. 

“But Bumrah didn’t win a Test match. Siraj stood up when it mattered. His workload was just as heavy, and he delivered when India needed him most.”

Bumrah featured in three Tests and picked up 14 wickets, but it was Mohammed Siraj who stole the spotlight, especially in the final match at The Oval. 

Siraj’s performance, the first instance of a visiting bowler taking nine or more wickets at the venue since Shane Warne’s 12-wicket haul in 2005, drew high praise from Haddin.

“Siraj enjoys being the leader of the attack. He’s the kind of guy who wants the ball in big moments. Sure, he makes mistakes, but he never hides from the occasion,” he said.

"You want players like that, players who embrace the pressure and take the challenge head-on. He wanted the ball in that last hour of play. There’s no doubt in my mind, he wanted to bowl every over to win that game.”

Haddin also weighed in on the pressure facing India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying that had India failed to win the final Test, questions over Gambhir’s future would have intensified.

“India were under pressure heading into the series. Their red-ball record hasn’t been great and Gambhir. well, if they hadn’t won that last Test, I reckon he’d be under serious scrutiny,” Haddin noted.

Haddin was impressed by India’s young captain, Shubman Gill. Gill had a stellar series with the bat, scoring 754 runs in ten innings at an average of 75.40, while also leading the side with composure.

“I like Gill’s style,  it shows in his batting. We’ve seen it in the IPL too, captaincy doesn’t affect his form, which is a great sign.

"He made some good tactical decisions. Sure, he was a bit behind the game at times, but he’ll grow into the role. There’s a lot of life in this Indian team," he concluded.