Michael Atherton, the former captain of England, has praised Jasprit Bumrah, the outstanding bowler from India, for his ability to bowl yorkers at will and alter pace. Despite being a skilled player of fast bowling, Atherton emphasized how England captain Ben Stokes has struggled against Jasprit Bumrah.
After winning the second Test by 106 runs at Vizag, Team India was able to level the five-match Test series at 1-1. Before routing the tourists for 253 runs, the hosts amassed 396 runs in the first innings. They then added another 255 runs before bundling out the tourists for 292 runs to end the England’s second innings and win the match.
Although Shubman Gill’s heroic ton in the second innings and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s maiden double century in the first were significant contributors to the victory, Jasprit Bumrah’s lethal bowling, which claimed six and three wickets in each innings of the games, respectively, was the real highlight of the victory.
He’s hurried with Jasprit Bumrah- Michael Atherton on Ben Stokes problem against Bumrah
Ollie Pope, Joe Root, and captain Ben Stokes were among the elite English batsmen who Bumrah dismissed with some outstanding deliveries, leading the home team to victory. After Bumrah knocked out Stokes twice in four innings during the current Test series, Atherton made his remarks.
Recently, Atherton stated to Sky Cricket:
“Picking with the speed of the ball is tough with him and I’ve noticed with Stokes, even Stokes actually is an excellent player of fast bowling. He’s hurried with Bumrah,”
Atherton implied that Bumrah’s change in bounce and speed has proven challenging for the English captain to adjust to.
“He struggles to pick up the pace, and a couple of times when he’s got him, it looks as though the ball has kept low, which has but it also almost beaten him for pace as well. I think that’s the issue with Bumrah,” he reflected.
The former cricket player and current broadcaster also complimented Jasprit Bumrah for his outstanding yorker that left Ollie Pope stunned. Pope’s stumps were entirely destroyed by Bumrah’s peach of a delivery, and Atherton was ecstatic about the ball that sent Pope back to the dugout.
“It was spectacular [yorker] wasn’t it? I don’t see what Pope could’ve done with that. It was an unbelievable image as Pope walked back,” Atherton expressed.
He has a kind of rhythmical back and forward movement- Michael Atherton on Joe Root’s struggles against Jasprit Bumrah
Michael Atherton went on to say that Joe Root‘s pre-movements are the reason behind his difficulties against Jasprit Bumrah. In support of his desire for him to play as still as possible, he referenced Zak Crawley, who scored 70s in his two innings during the second Test in Vizag.
Atherton made his remarks as Root was dismissed twice by Bumrah in the two Test matches. In the format, Jasprit Bumrah has already removed him eight times.
“A kind of stuttering one up and suddenly like at thunderbolt to 90 miles an hour. So, if you’re a person like Root who has kind of pre-movements. Some batters like Zak Crawley for example stand very still, he just stands there and plays the shot,” he said.
“Whereas most batters have triggers or pre-movements and Root is one of those, he has kind of rhythmical back and forward and that I think is the problem,” he continued.
The third Test between the two teams will take place in Rajkot starting on February 15.