Team India endured a nightmare as England kept piling on the misery against a hapless bowling attack on Day 4 of the Manchester Test.

For the first time in his illustrious Test career, ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah conceded more than 100 runs in an innings. That was not even the worst part. It was the ineffective way he bowled right through England's innings. Bumrah’s pace was down and his lines were inconsistent as he appeared tired.

As expected, the right-arm quick drew criticism as he gave away 112 runs in his 33 overs for a couple of scalps.

Despite growing concerns over his fitness, legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev backed Jasprit Bumrah, saying the fast bowler has consistently delivered when it mattered most.

In recent times, Bumrah has come under the scanner for his workload management. The Indian team management had confirmed before the England tour that star pacer would only play three of the five Tests.

The No.1-ranked Test bowler has turned up twice already, with India losing both matches. He was rested for the second Test at Edgbaston and is unlikely to feature in the series finale at The Oval.

Speaking at the PGTI Schedule announcement, Kapil emphasized that Bumrah's action puts extra strain on his body and makes a long Test career more challenging.

“I think everybody is different. Times have changed, bodies are different. They are working differently. It is difficult to judge. Yes, he is one of the fast bowlers we have, but his action is so awkward, and it is difficult to sustain,” Kapil said, as quoted by PTI.

“We didn’t think he would be able to play this far because he puts too much stress on the body. But still, he is delivering to the Indian team. So hats off to him,” he added.

Kapil also extended his support Shubman Gill, who was appointed India’s Test captain after Rohit Sharma’s retirement in May this year.

Gill’s captaincy has come under scrutiny, but Kapil called for patience, reminding everyone that this is his first assignment as Test captain.

“Give him time. This is his first series; he will commit mistakes and there will be many positives over the period of time, he will learn. There is no problem if he is learning. There will be mistakes, but he is learning from his mistakes—that is very important,” he said.

“This is a young team, they are getting the opportunity to play and in the coming days these players will win. It is just a new team. Any new team in the world takes time to adjust. Gill is a new captain, and he will learn a lot and I think this series will be a learning step,” Kapil concluded.