How Jasprit Bumrah’s absence turned final day of the Test and series into an anticlimax

Jasprit Bumrah stood near the stumps on a pitch adjacent to the main pitch. It was in the morning, much before the start of day 3 at the SCG that turned out to be the final day of the match and the series. The question that hung overnight was if Bumrah would be fit to bowl. Pat Cummins would later say that “every time he bowled he seemed to have an impact and took some key wickets. So yeah, no doubt that helped our chase”. evening there was a sense of flatness even in the large sections of Australian fans in the stands near the dressing rooms, muttering about an “anti-climatic’ end. But in the morning, there was still hope among Indian fans when they spotted Bumrah near the pitch.
On the other side, quite a few of the Australian squad were present, many of whom had their necks craned on the Indian side. Bumrah threw one look at them, walked up to the stumps and went through imaginary bowling drills—walking to the stumps, and releasing. But all eyes were fixated on the Indian dressing room when the innings was wrapped up quickly Cummins and Boland who ended up with a six-for and his first first-class ten-wicket haul (10 for 71).
One one, the Indians filed out but there was no sign of Bumrah. Those Indians already in the arena got together for the huddle, when someone ran out of the dressing room to join them. It was KL Rahul, and not Bumrah. And that was it; day’s and the series’ fate was decided. “Disappointing, probably missed out on the spiciest wicket of the series,” Bumrah said later.
Horror start
If there was any doubt, the first over Mohammad Siraj had a five wides down the leg side, and a smashed four as 13 runs were leaked. Prasidh Krishna matched Siraj in the amount of runs, with three wides, he gave in the next. As many as 35 runs had flooded in three overs before Sam Konstas top-edged a slog to get out in the next over. Marnus Labuschagne guided a short wide ball to gully before Prasidh Krishna bounced at an advancing Steve Smith to force an ugly fend to gully. Smith had just one more to get to his 10,000th Test run, but that now has to wait until he reaches Galle in Sri Lanka later this month.
That triple strike Krishna had left Australia on 58 for 3 in 10 overs but Travis Head, India’s tormentor not only this series but also in the past, and Usman Khawaja, making hay while sun shines in the absence of his series-tormentor Bumrah, put the issue beyond much doubt with a 46-run partnership in 8.1 overs with a flurry of boundaries.
Though Khawaja did fall for 41, edging a pull through to Rishabh Pant off Siraj, the 31-year old Test debutant Beau Webster stayed unbeaten with Head to seal the series triumph. Webster charged out to Washington Sundar, who bowled just one over in this game on a grassy pitch, to biff the winning runs over mid-off. Cummins rushed out of the dressing room to celebrate with his other team-mates gathered there. In the middle, Webster and Head screamed in joy. “Been a crazy five Tests, the guys that got through all five are probably looking forward to some time off,” Head would say. His partner Webster put the day’s mood succinctly: “I was counting down the runs, was pretty confident the whole chase.”
A series that has created a few headaches for both teams, but Australia, under the leadership of Cummins and Andrew McDonald the coach, can be expected to address it. Just as they brought in Konstas as opener and dropped Mitch Marsh for Webster. It remains to be seen how Indians handle it.
Question of future
Some of the issues in both teams are similar: the declining form of their ageing batsmen, be it Khawaja or Rohit or Kohli. Some of the positives too are the same: fresh talent doing decently well, and the bowlers sparkling.
With the new WTC cycle coming up soon, what will India do? A new-ish team or …? And though Rohit might have said otherwise, and it’s his prerogative as player to decide to continue playing on, it will come down to Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee with the support of the board to take a call. Do they want Kohli to be with them for some part of the WTC cycle, in hope that he will regain form? And what sort of approach do they really want from their coach Gautam Gambhir? Will they think about having two different coaches for white-ball and Test cricket?
In the end, just before the presentation ceremony, Gambhir was milling in the teem of people out there, sought out Kohli and gave him a pat on the back. Rohit hung around with a few of his team-mates before Rohit and Kohli headed back and walked up the steps. It could well perhaps be the last time they both head together into an Indian Test dressing room – certainly in Australia. In case the two star players don’t take the call, it’s up to the selectors and the board to decide if it’s the last time anywhere in the world.

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