'How Can You Lose Two Games With Jasprit Bumrah?' – Former England captain questions India's playing XI for ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has expressed his surprise over India's inability to win a match in the ongoing Test series with Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI. The premier fast bowler featured in the first and third Tests at Headingley and Lord’s, respectively, and India ended up losing both. In contrast, the Men in Blue registered one of their most dominant overseas wins in the second Test at Edgbaston, where Bumrah was rested. Vaughan was puzzled by this trend and highlighted Bumrah’s individual brilliance in the series so far.

Despite missing one game, Bumrah is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in the series with 12 wickets at an average of 21.00, including two five-wicket hauls. His performances, however, have not translated into team victories. Vaughan, speaking on Cricbuzz, pointed to the lack of support for Bumrah from other bowlers at Headingley and the batting collapse at Lord’s as critical reasons behind India’s defeats. “One thing that I would be worried about is that Jasprit Bumrah has played two Tests, and he has bowled like Jasprit Bumrah, but they have lost both those games. How can you lose two games with Jasprit? I'm not saying he can put pressure on the other bowlers, but do they step up when he is not around?” he said.

India failed to chase 193 in the third Test at Lord’s despite strong performances from Bumrah and KL Rahul in the first innings and Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 61 in the second. Vaughan also felt that self-belief was missing in this Indian team, though he acknowledged signs of progress. Reflecting on India's recent struggles, he remarked on the team's fluctuating confidence and their inability to capitalize on strong positions.

Vaughan Senses India Are “Really Close”

Michael Vaughan compared India’s current slump to their recent run of inconsistent form—losing at home to New Zealand and then away in Australia. While the Edgbaston win had given India a morale boost, Vaughan believes the Lord’s defeat will sting more deeply, given how close the team came to a win. “They have probably just lost that belief, that little bit of confidence that you require when things get tough... But what I am seeing on this Indian side is that they are not far off; they are really close,” he added.

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Despite playing competitive cricket at multiple levels, India has only won two of their last 11 Tests. The upcoming fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, which begins on July 23, is critical. India has never won a Test at Old Trafford and last lost at this hallowed venue by an innings and 54 runs in 2014. The pressure will be on to reverse that trend and stay alive in the series.