Jasprit Bumrah did look a bit flat right from the start of this game: Ricky Ponting

Former Australian captain and commentator Ricky Ponting has slammed the Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj for not living up to the expectations on the third and fourth day of the ongoing Manchester Test against England.

While Bumrah bowled 33 overs, conceding 112 runs, picking up two wickets at an economy of 3.4, Siraj bowled 30 overs to concede 140 runs with one wicket at an economy of 4.7. Interestingly, this was the first time Burmah conceded 100 runs in a Test innings.

Interestingly, Bumrah, who used to bowl in 140ks, managed to bowl in 120ks to 130ks for the whole duration of the third and fourth days of the game, raising eyebrows of many. On the other hand, Siraj, who is playing his fourth Test of the series, also looked a bit off-colour.

"That's why the game's called Test Cricket. Yeah, it is a test. It's a physical test, it's a mental test and a challenge. There was always concerns about Bumrah and Siraj really getting through this Test Series with as many games under their belt as possible. You know, this is, I think, the fourth game now for Siraj. So, yeah, they're starting to take its toll. There's no doubt about that," Ponting said on Sky Sports Cricket. 

"Bumrah did look a bit flat right from the start of this game, to be honest. You look at his pace. His pace has been sort of 82, 83 miles an hour on average right the way through this game, which is probably three or four or five miles down on what he normally is. But you've got to give credit to the England batters as well. I thought Duckett and Crawley at the top really put this Indian bowling attack under a lot of pressure from the start," he added.

Notably, at the start of the England tour, Bumrah was supposed to play only three out of five Tests to manage his workload. However, he has already played three Tests on the tour and it would be interesting to watch if he would play the fifth and final Test of the series.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!