ENG vs IND 2025: Akash Deep bolsters India’s pace attack, Mohammed Siraj back in rhythm – Bumrah’s return to create potent trio?
The Birmingham Test is special for India in terms of their fast-bowling unit. In the absence of their in-form star bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the match, the new-ball bowlers, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, took all the 10 England wickets to fall in the first innings.
However, Bumrah, who had taken a five-wicket haul in the first Test at Leeds, was dearly missed in Birmingham when the England’s sixth-wicket pair of Jamie Smith and Harry Brook posted a 303-run stand, and threatened to close in on to India’s first innings total of 587. However, it was India’s fortune that the Deep-Siraj duo managed to clean up the tail quickly after the stand was broken.
Deep-Siraj shine as others fail
Deep and Siraj took 10 wickets for 158 runs in 40 overs, while all the other bowlers combined failed to pick up a single wicket while conceding 244 runs. Nevertheless, the performance of Deep, and the resurgence of Siraj, are a big plus for India, and it resolves a few fast-bowling woes until the third Test at Lord’s where Bumrah is expected to be back in action.
It was Akash Deep who drew first blood, picking up two wickets in his second over of the England first innings in the Birmingham Test. Deep has a knack of picking up wickets early, and his performance in England’s first innings showed he can be lethal with the new ball.
In his short eight-match Test career, including the Birmingham Test first innings, Deep has taken 13 wickets in the first 20 overs of the innings, showing his control with the new ball and the knack of picking up wickets upfront. In comparison, Deep has taken just 1 wicket between overs 21 and 50, and only five wickets from overs 51 and more.
Read More: ENG vs IND, 2025, 2nd Test, Day 3: Akash Deep & Siraj thwart dangerous England; India 244 ahead
Siraj makes stunning comeback
Mohammed Siraj looked like a different bowler in the first innings of the Birmingham Test. Of late, he has struggled with his line and length and sprayed the balls on both sides of the wicket. But this time, he was bang on with his line and length.
He bowled perfect hard lengths, making scoring runs difficult against him. He picked up all his six wickets either bowled, LBW, or edges behind the wicket. It showed the control with which Siraj bowled in the first innings. The six-wicket haul comes after a prolonged slump. Siraj last took a five-wicket haul in January 2024 against South Africa.
Bumrah-Siraj-Deep to spearhead attack in Lord’s Test?
Prasidh Krishna, who has been having a rather inconsistent series so far, is likely to be dropped for the third Test at Lord’s as Bumrah will return to spearhead the attack.
But who will share the new ball, and who will come as one change?
Deep-Bumrah followed by Siraj in short spells
Deep’s records show his command with the new ball, and the penchant to pick up early wickets. Hence, he is certain to get the new ball. With seaming conditions at Lord’s, captain Shubman Gill is likely to throw the new ball to Bumrah who can set up the batters with a few out-swingers and a surprise inswinger/yorker following it. Siraj could follow next. However, the three could be rotated in a few sharp spells to make the best use of the pitch and conditions, while keeping them fresh as well.
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Deep-Siraj followed by old-ball master Bumrah
However, the resurgence of Siraj would have given him a lot of confidence, and he would also be raring to bowl with the new ball. Hence, the captain may opt for Deep and Siraj as the new-ball bowlers, with Bumrah coming as one-change.
Stats show Jasprit Bumrah is even more lethal with an older ball, as he gets the ball to reverse swing, and can pick up wickets in a heap when he is in rhythm. Bumrah’s average falls to 20.20 in overs 21 to 50, and 16.80 from overs 51 and beyond from 22.70 with the new ball, meaning he becomes even more dangerous with the older ball.
Here’s how the three pacers fare in various phases of an innings
Other bowlers as fillers at Lord’s
Fourth seamer Nitish Kumar Reddy, or all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja could be used as fillers to rotate the three strike bowlers in small spells, to keep them fresh every time they come out to bowl. However, as the pitch wears out, Jadeja and Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav could come in handy to make use of the roughs left out by the fast bowlers.
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