Jasprit Bumrah’s Catch Drops overshadowed his stellar five-wicket haul (5/83) in the first Test against England at Headingley on June 20, 2025, keeping India slightly ahead. Despite his mastery, the Indian pace spearhead faced frustration as three catches went down off his bowling, exposing India’s Slip Cordon Woes.
Bumrah’s Five-Wicket Haul showcased his dominance, but the dropped chances highlighted fielding lapses in the intense Headingley Test Battle, dimming his efforts.
Bumrah remained composed in the face of constant disappointment from his fielders, including two drops from Yashasvi Jaiswal and a spill from the normally dependable Ravindra Jadeja. “I am disappointed for a second when catches are dropped,” the pacer told the BBC following the day’s play.
The guys are new and putting in a lot of effort, and it’s just a part of the game. I don’t want to cause a commotion and increase their stress levels. They will gain knowledge from this experience because no one is doing it on purpose.
“Sometimes the cold makes it difficult to catch,” he said, acknowledging the difficult conditions at Headingley. I make an effort to ignore it and move on swiftly.
Despite Bumrah’s Catch Drops frustration, he was India’s only defender on Day 2 of the Headingley Test. Taking all three of England’s wickets. India’s bowling support was improved on Day 3 by Prasidh Krishna (3 wickets) and Mohammed Siraj (2 wickets).
But their erratic lines let runs slip through, allowing England’s First Innings Fightback to cut India’s lead and making Bumrah’s catch drops in the Headingley Test Dynamics even more painful.
India Lead by 96
India had scored 471 in the opening inning, but England rallied with 465 thanks to 106 from Ollie Pope and a heroic 99 from Harry Brook.
Before he holed out while attempting to reach his century with style, Brook was dropped three times and capitalised each time.
After England’s tail had started to wag, Bumrah took matters into his own hands and was brought back for a late burst.
He picked his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket after uprooting Woakes’ stumps and dismissing Josh Tongue to finish.
At A Glance
India’s battle in the Headingley Test was led by Jasprit Bumrah’s five-wicket haul (5/83) even though his efforts were thwarted by three missed opportunities due to Bumrah’s Catch Drops. He claimed every wicket on Day 2; Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna added runs on Day 3, but England closed the gap.
