India, June 27 -- Despite it being common knowledge that Jasprit Bumrah would be unavailable for two of the five Tests India are slated to play in England this summer, his unavailability remains a blow for an Indian team bristling from defeat in Leeds last week. A team which was already scratching its head about finding quality in a pace attack that struggled at Headingley has now been thrown an impossible-sounding task: figure out how to replace the best fast bowler in the world.

As far as India's options go, there are not too many seam-bowling backups in their ranks, with the trio of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur already playing and not quite impressing in Leeds. What this means is that India really only have two ...