Jasprit Bumrah has been garnering praise from experts for his exceptional bowling show in the first innings of the ongoing second Test against England in Visakhapatnam. The right-arm quick returned stunning figures of 6 for 45 as the visitors were bowled out for 253 in reply to India’s 396. It was his best-ever bowling figures in a Test match at home and third-best overall, producing a masterclass in reverse swing.
Impressed with his heroics, former England captain Alastair Cook said Bumrah took the pitch out of the equation and ripped the heart out of the visitors with his awkward angles which made him unplayable.
“Bumrah has carried India through today and has single-handedly changed the course of this game,” Cook told TNT Sports.
“England’s batting card started so well with Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, who played beautifully for 76. His wicket, the first time he came down the wicket and tried to hit leg-side – getting a leading edge – that was the changing point.
“Bumrah jumped in and ripped the heart out of the England batting line-up,” he added.
Cook, who is the fifth-highest Test run scorer of all time, had ended his international career in 2018 following a series against India.
“I’ve faced Bumrah a number of times, but I don’t think I’ve ever faced him bowling as well as that. His awkwardness, his different angles, he creates a different vision for the batter and it makes him sometimes unplayable,” Cook said.
Bumrah dismissed Joe Root, Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow during an impressive spell. He also cleaned up England skipper Ben Stokes and later got rid off Tom Hartley and James Anderson.
“Root was first to go, Pope to an unplayable in-swinging yorker, Bairstow and Stokes too falling to Bumrah. He has changed the game. He took the pitch out of it; it was down to him and him only. 253 all out is well below par,” Cook said.
“England have let an opportunity slip from 110-1, but I actually think that at some stage you have to doff your cap to the opposition,” he added.
(With Agency Inputs)
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