He’s done it again. Jasprit Bumrah has once again come out on top against Joe Root. After getting him trapped in front in the first Test in Hyderabad, the pacer has gotten the better of England’s best batter once again in the IND vs ENG 2nd Test.
Since making his debut in 2018, Jasprit Bumrah vs Joe Root has been one of the best battles in Test cricket. With Virat Kohli and James Anderson on their respective sides, people seem to gloss over one of the most captivating rivalries.
Ben Stokes and Co. started their innings by smashing Indian bowlers. With England well on their way to India’s first-inning total of 396, Bumrah decided to step up. With Axar Patel sending their top scorer, Zak Crawley, to the pavilion, the pacer sensed an opportunity to turn the game in India’s favor.
Playing on Joe Root’s habit of having a go at balls outside off-stump, Jasprit Bumrah used his skills to move both ways. Stuck in two minds, Root had a feel for a ball pitched on the 7th stump and edged it to Shubman Gill, stationed at the first slip.
This marked the eighth time that Bumrah dismissed England’s No. 1 batter. It’s safe to say that Root won’t be pleased with his record against the Indian spearhead and would like to turn things around in the third Test in Rajkot.
Jasprit Bumrah vs Joe Root: Record in Tests
Jasprit Bumrah and Joe Root have gone against each other 12 times (innings) in Test cricket. The modern greats faced off for the first time in 2018, and Bumrah managed to get the better of him twice.
Fast forward to 2024, and Bumrah has dismissed Root eight times, including his two dismissals in just 10 balls.
The batter from Yorkshire is the batter against whom Bumrah has had the most success in Test cricket. He is the batter the pacer has dismissed the most times in Tests.
So far, Jasprit Bumrah has averaged 30.6 against Joe Root. Given their class, their records (average and strike rate) diminish when going against each other.
| Year | Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | SR | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 44 | 127 | 2 | 99 | 3 | 0 | 34.6 | 22.0 |
| 2021 | 150 | 291 | 4 | 212 | 18 | 0 | 51.5 | 37.5 |
| 2022 | 50 | 62 | 0 | 37 | 7 | 0 | 80.6 | – |
| 2024 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 | 0.5 |
| Total | 245 | 490 | 8 | 357 | 28 | 0 | 50.0 | 30.6 |
