India’s five-wicket loss to England in the first Test at Headingley prompted veteran bowler Mohammed Shami to convey a harsh message to the bowling unit. Despite a strong effort from Jasprit Bumrah, who took five wickets in the first innings, England’s bowling arsenal failed to offer the necessary support, leaving them chasing 371, their second-highest fourth innings target in Test history.
The defeat meant that India began the current World Test Championship (WTC) season on a disappointing note. Notably, India scored up to five hundreds in two innings, but the hosts won the game and seized the lead in the five-match series thanks to a poor bowling effort on a surface that suited pacers.
Bumrah concluded the first innings with 5/83. However, in the second innings, openers Ben Duckett (149) and Zak Crawley (65) confronted Bumrah early and faced the other pacers. Meanwhile, Shami urged India’s bowlers to learn from Bumrah and carry out their plans effectively.
“In bowling, other Indian bowlers should speak with and learn from Bumrah. They should discuss planning with him and offer their support. If they support Bumrah, we should easily win the match. If I go back after the first match, I believe we need to improve our bowling,” Shami said on his YouTube account.
England triumphed because we provided too many easy runs. Mohammed Shami
Shami, who is recovering from an injury and is not on the squad, watched from the sidelines as the Indian attack failed to put the English hitters on the back foot following Bumrah’s first-inning brilliance. Mohammed Siraj’s efforts failed to produce wickets, while Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna appeared unproductive, and Ravindra Jadeja failed to trouble the hitters on a consistent basis.
“In the second innings, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna both took two wickets, but by the time Shardul dismissed two England batters, India had lost the match. It is critical to get wickets with the new ball. They must help Bumrah. England won the first Test because we provided too many easy runs. “We need to figure out how to strengthen our bowling side,” he said.
Notably, Siraj was kept out of the assault between overs 42 and 80 on Day 5, despite looking threatening at times alongside Bumrah. Arshdeep Singh, who had a strong time in county cricket, was not selected. However, with a week before the second Test, the visitors will be hoping to adjust their strategy and make a great comeback.
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