Jasprit Bumrah was on fire in the India vs England 2nd Test. The Indian spearhead blew the English middle order in the first inning in Vizag, and then the India cricket team gained a valuable 143-run lead. He returned in the second inning to take important wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes, and then finally ended the match with Tom Hartley’s scalp.
Former England skipper Naseer Hussain labeled Bumrah’s first innings spell as the difference between the two sides. Speaking with Sky Sports after the match, he said:
“I think it was really the magic of Jasprit Bumrah. He got 3 today, but that spell in the first inning—6 for 40 odd—blew away England for 250 on a really good flat pitch. The magic of Bumrah and the ball to Ollie Pope—that spell he bowled was, in the end, the difference between the two sides.”
Sometimes you can be particular about your own team; sometimes you just have to look at your position and say, you know what, they were touched by a genius. That’s exactly what happened. That spell from Bumrah in England’s first inning was genius.
Reverse swing has slightly gone out of the game, but with Bumrah with his unorthodox action and the way he leans across to the off-side and creates the angles. He is all over Joe Root at the moment, and got him out 8 times in Tests.”