IND vs SL, Test series: Former Sri Lanka cricketer Russel Arnold believes there is “no filling the void” left by Jasprit Bumrah, but feels India’s varied bowling attack can help Shubman Gill’s side cope in the two-Test series. In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Guardian, Arnold also backed Mohammed Siraj and highlighted the importance of using the conditions and strong winds in Galle effectively.
IND vs SL, Test series: Russel Arnold heaps praise on Jasprit Bumrah
The 32-year-old suffered a knee injury during the limited-overs tour of England and the setback could keep him out of action for a long time. While the tour of Sri Lanka is a sub-continent one, Bumrah’s presence would still have been crucial due to his ability to exploit any reverse swing that might be on offer. Mohammed Siraj has emerged as an outstanding bowler and hardly shows fatigue but India have to make do with Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar. During an interview with the ITV Network (The Sunday Guardian), when asked whether India can fill the void left by Bumrah, the 52-year-old answered by saying:
“There’s no filling the void, that’s for sure. He covers several bases and the pitch doesn’t matter as far as Bumrah is concerned. But these bowlers are of different types. India, the way, they have played their cricket, of late, have used these resources well; hence, there is a lot of belief in them. I watched the practice match, they kept running in hard on a flat pitch and they were trying different things. So, India will need to play a different form of game in the sense of how these bowlers are used. But I think they all have a part to play because they are of different types. Siraj, especially, he has got the skill behind him, pace and bounce with the others. We also know there’s a lot of wind in Galle. So, the seamers who know how to use the wind have been successful.”
IND vs SL, Test series: How many wickets has Jasprit Bumrah taken in the 2025-27 WTC cycle?
Having played seven matches in the 2025-27 cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC), the Ahmedabad-born cricketer has taken 29 wickets at 22.55.
However, he has also suffered a handful of injuries, forcing the management to manage his workload at certain stages to prevent long-term injuries.
