Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling form seems to have fallen off a cliff and there aren’t many indications that he will be able to get back on track soon.
The tour of New Zealand has been especially trying for the right-arm quick as he failed to pick up a single wicket during the 3-0 ODI series whitewash and only managed one wicket in the opening Test which the Indians lost by 10 wickets.
Bumrah hasn’t been the same since his return from back injury. The bowler hurt his back in September after the tour of the Caribbean and while it was expected that he would be out of action for six months, he came back in double quick time.
Unfortunately, the New Zealand tour has gone from bad to worse for the right-arm quick, with wickets and control deserting him in white and red-ball cricket. While he showed flashes of brilliance during the five-match T20 series against the Kiwis, the slide started during the ODIs and has extended to Test matches.
One wicket in more than 63 overs
The single most revealing stat which shows exactly how much Bumrah has struggled during the New Zealand tour is the fact he has picked up one wicket in more than 63 overs of bowling in ODI and Test matches.
He went wicktless in the three-match ODI series despite bowling his full quota of overs. The poor wicket-taking form then spilled over to the Test arena where he picked up just one wicket in 26.4 overs in the first Test at Wellington which India, once again, lost comfortably by 10 wickets.
The pattern has continued in the second Test at Christchurch on Saturday, the 26-year-old failing to pick up a wicket on the opening day on a green surface.
That adds up to 63.4 wickets for one wicket and not much hope for more in the immediate future.
India were bowled out for 242 in the first innings of the second Test and the Kiwis were well-placed on 63-0 by stumps. Virat Kohli’s team need an extraordinary spell from Bumrah to get back into the Test, which seems unlikely given the way the Black Caps have handled him so far.
Bumrah is leaking runs as well, which means the Kiwis have not been forced to see him off, which was a tactic teams used when he was bowling at his peak last year.
What seems likely is the Kiwis continuing to dominate, which should force Bumrah go back to the drawing board and sort out the issues that have suddenly cropped up since his hasty return.
