Jasprit Bumrah returned to Test cricket much like he had left it—leading the Indian attack and posing the biggest threat with the ball. Coming back from a stress reaction in his previously operated back, there had been serious concerns about whether he had been overbowled and how well he would recover. But at Headingley, Jasprit Bumrah quickly put those doubts to rest, once again establishing himself as the standout bowler on the field.
Jasprit Bumrah once again underlined why he is considered the best fast bowler in the world at present, producing a masterful five-wicket haul to hand India a slender edge in the opening Test against England at Headingley. Jasprit Bumrah introduced England to the best of his skills with the fifer.
Jasprit Bumrah – The lone warrior for Team India
Jasprit Bumrah once again showed why he’s the world’s premier fast bowler, delivering a sensational five-wicket haul to dismantle England’s first innings despite being let down repeatedly by his teammates on the field. Jasprit Bumrah finished with figures of 5/83, a performance dripping with quality and control, in sharp contrast to the rest of India’s pace attack. England eventually folded for 465, falling just six short of India’s total of 471, but the narrow lead was only possible because of one man.
Jasprit Bumrah was a lone warrior on Day 2, claiming all three wickets that fell as England slowly built their innings. On Day 3, he finally received some support — Prasidh Krishna picked up three wickets while Mohammed Siraj added two. However, both bowlers were inconsistent, leaking runs and allowing England to stay within striking distance of India’s formidable first-innings total.
During the Leeds Test, Jasprit Bumrah surpassed Wasim Akram to become the highest wicket-taker among Asian bowlers in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia), taking his tally to 150-four more than the legendary Pakistani pacer.
MOST FIVE-WICKET HAULS FOR INDIA AWAY FROM HOME
Jasprit Bumrah – 12
Kapil Dev – 12
Anil Kumble – 10
Ishant Sharma – 9
R Ashwin – 8
After posting 471, India saw their advantage narrow as England responded with 465 — driven by Ollie Pope’s composed 106 and Harry Brook’s flamboyant 99. Brook, dropped multiple times, capitalised on each chance before falling short of his century while attempting a stylish finish.
With England’s tail wagging dangerously, Jasprit Bumrah returned for a decisive final spell, clean bowling Chris Woakes and then removing Josh Tongue to complete his 14th five-wicket haul in Tests. Jasprit Bumrah looked up to the sky and made a quiet gesture, and his teammates rushed to him. However Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless when it mattered most in the second innings as England easily trounced on the opportunity bashing other bowlers to script a memorable win.
While injuries goes hand by hand with Indian star bowler Jasprit Bumrah who bolsters a terrific record in all the three formats of the game, recently opened up on his future in cricket and how will he manage his retirement plans and injury management going forward. He also spilled light upon why he was not interesting captaining India in the red ball format.
Team India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has opened up about his workload management ahead of the upcoming Test series against England.
The right-arm speedster confirmed that he would play the first game, but will most probably feature in just two more Tests to keep himself away from the injury cloud and coach Gautam Gambhir has confirmed the same in the post match press conference after the 1st Test match.However Former Indian spinner R Ashwin believes that Gautam Gambhir should urge Jasprit Bumrah to play the second test at Edgbaston.
I had ask Jasprit Bumrah to play 2nd Test match- Ravichandran Ashwin
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah should play the second Test of the ongoing five-match away series against England. The hosts secured a five-wicket victory in the opening encounter at Headingley, Leeds, successfully chasing down a 371-run target in the final innings.
Jasprit Bumrah is likely to feature in just three games of the series due to workload management. Ashwin opined that the ace speedster’s availability for the second Test becomes crucial, with India trailing 0-1 in the rubber.
Suggesting that the Gautam Gambhir-led team management should make one change to the lineup by bringing in left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav, Ashwin said on his YouTube video :
“Considering we are 1-0 down, I’d ask Bumrah to play the second Test, and try to get even in the series, and then he can take the break. Since there is a considerable break between the 3rd and 4th Test, he can take rest then, and play the 2nd Test. I’ll just bring Kuldeep in, and not do any other changes.”
Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers in England’s first innings. He was the lone warrior for the visitors. The 31-year-old bagged his 14th five-wicket haul in the format. He remained wicketless in the run chase, which significantly dented India’s chances of defending the target.
Lauding Jasprit Bumrah’s performance, Ashwin added:
“There have been many batting greats from India who have been elevated to a god-like status in our country. We haven’t lifted him up to that level, yet. But what a performer he is! What a skilful bowler!”
It remains to be seen if Jasprit Bumrah will be rested for the upcoming second Test or not. The match will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, from July 2 to 6.
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