India vs England 1st Test: Listless bowling, dropped catches make it a Jasprit Bumrah solo salvo

Jasprit Bumrah didn't celebrate Ben Duckett's wicket for too long. He was thinking ahead, England was 126/2 and India needed more wickets urgently to justify bowling under a largely overcast day, all day. Joe Root was entering the field and Bumrah had sniffed an opportunity. He signaled KL Rahul to move to slips from covers. Rahul would put some loose mud from the crease to dry his hands. He knew a catch would come his way. He wasn't the only one who knew that Bumrah has Root's number, he has got him 9 times. This was India's chance to strike a vital blow and it was Bumrah, the best bowler in Tests by miles, who was expected to do the honours. Both Root and Ollie Pope survived that short Bumrah storm, but not the day. But they did give England that all-important breathing time.
Bumrah would return for his final spell. He would have Root caught in the slips. He even had England's second best batsman Harry Brook mistiming a pull and Mohammed Siraj holding the catch running backwards. But that was to be a no-ball and Brooks would return to the crease. England finished the day at 209/3, with India still ahead by 262 runs.
It was that kind of a day for India. Opportunity came knocking but no one ran to open the door. The weather had been kind to the visitors. After they had scored 471 under bright sunlight, England had to bat under dark clouds. But two drops and a rather listless bowling show by all bowlers except Bumrah, resulted in England managing to make a comeback into the game. Rain is expected on Day 3 and the conditions will once again be favourable for seam bowling. But as Day 2 showed, it isn't the conditions but bowlers who take wickets.
𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭'𝐬 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞: 𝐁𝐮𝐦𝐫𝐚𝐡'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 🎯
For the 10th time in Test Cricket, #JaspritBumrah has dismissed #JoeRoot! 🥶#ENGvIND 1st Test, Day 2 | Streaming LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/PLSZ49Mrj4 pic.twitter.com/OPT1zt9QIk
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 21, 2025
Now, for the period of play in the final session when India failed to grab catches and the chances that came their way. Bumrah's second wicket in the 29th was to be his second wind and the turning point of the game. Though, it was not to be and Bumrah was not at fault.
Having already bowled 8 overs, Bumrah knew he had to come up with one more burst, probably the last of the day, to keep India ahead in the game. These are moments when pacers get fueled by adrenaline. Bumrah would bowl 16 inspired balls after Duckett's wicket. He gave 5 runs, missed Root's edge once, sliced him into two and had the heartbreak of watching Yashasvi Jaiswal drop Ollie Pope in the slips.
Earlier in his first spell, a display of top-class fiery bowling, Ravindra Jadeja, off all the fielders, had failed to grab a Duckett edge at point. Bumrah had a resigned look on his face, for the pacer it is a smile that gives an idea about his hurt. After the end of that over, he took his cap from the umpire and sunk his face inside it. The other Indians on field too would have wanted to do the same.
𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙅𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞 𝘽𝙝𝙖𝙞! 🔥#BenDuckett looked well set for a longer innings, but @Jaspritbumrah93 had other plans! 🤩#ENGvIND 1st Test, Day 2 | Streaming LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/PLSZ49MZ8C pic.twitter.com/of4RonSelA
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 21, 2025
No one would have thought this is how the day would end when Bumrah got the England opener Zak Crawley on the final ball of his first over. It was a classic Bumrah ball that seemed to be headed towards the leg stump, and replays showed wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant moving to his left, suddenly moving sharply to the off. Crawley would square up and Karun Nair in the slips would hold a sharp catch above his head. A noisy bunch of Indians among the crowd, sitting not too far from the Barmy, were 'Booming', the dhol beats echoing around Headingley. Still high on yesterday's great start to India's Test journey, under the young coach Shubman Gill, there was hope that the march would continue.
But insipid and inconsistent India bowling was the reason for the 122 runs partnership between Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. The English batsmen are a study in contrast. Duckett confident and cocky, Pope unsure and jittery. The opener is a dasher with a reputation of taking on the bowlers. With Pope there was a lot of speculation about his place in the side. There has been this overwhelming view in England that Jacob Bethell needs to be in the side instead of him. Bethell, who played a big role in RCB breaking the IPL jinx, had made a mark in Tests last year by scoring a 100 against New Zealand. However, because of IPL commitments, he missed last month's Zimbabwe Test where Pope made a hundred.
Before the India series, Pope was almost apologetic about his inclusion. 'I completely own that my numbers aren't good enough against those guys (India and Australia) but I also feel I am a much better player now than I was when we last played India at home and Australia away,' he said. He certainly was as he hit the fastest century on this Test and went a long way to keep England in the game.
As India licked their wounds and contemplated 'what could have been' they would also think about their playing XI for the game. For much of the innings, even during the long Duckett and Pope partnership, India didn't use their all-rounder pacer Shardul Thakur. What if they had left arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the team? What if the catches were not dropped? What if the other pacers would have bowled better?

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