Former England pacer Stuart Broad feels that even quality batters tend to get uncomfortable facing Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah across the format given his unique bowling action. With a stunning spell of quick bowling, the 30-year-old tore through England’s batting order.
Bumrah delivered a fantastic bowling performance to give India the lead in the 1st innings of the second Test. The Right-arm pacer took 6/45 in 15.5 overs as England were dismissed for 253 in response to India’s first-innings score of 396. The senior Indian pacer bowled outstanding deliveries to dismiss to get rid of Joe Root, Ollie Pope, and England skipper Ben Stokes.
In his Column for Dailymail, Stuart Broad spoke about Joe Root’s problems against Jasprit Bumrah in red-ball cricket, claiming that he brought a lot of enthusiasm to the Indian team and hailed him as one of the finest bowlers to ever play the game.
“If someone as good as Joe Root is habitually struggling with a particular bowler, you can bet your bottom dollar that every batter on the Test scene will be.
“Jasprit Bumrah has a unique action and there’s no doubting that India are a much better team with him in it. He’s an incredible Twenty20 bowler, but as his record of 152 wickets at just 20.28 runs each attests, he is even more effective in Test cricket. Statistically, he is right up there with the very best to have played the game,” Stuart Broad said.
Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliant spell helped India to bowl out England for 253 runs on what appeared to be an encouraging track in Vizag. England surrendered a significant lead on Day 2 of the Test match and may face a large score to chase in the fourth session.
Jasprit Bumrah’s Deliveries Are Incredibly Hard To Pick Up – Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad praised Jasprit Bumrah’s ability to make batters dance in the crease with his skillful bowling and compared him to Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga and feels that his balls would rush the batter’s at the striker’s end.
“Facing him isn’t like facing anyone else in the world and I used to hate it. Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, with his slingy round-arm release, had that point of difference about him and Bumrah has something similar in that his deliveries are incredibly hard to pick up.
“Because he trots in from a very calm, short, shuffling run-up, he generates no real energy and there is therefore no real build-up to the ball suddenly being upon you at the striker’s end. It can be very disconcerting,” Stuart Broad added.
Bumrah also became the second-fastest Asian pacer to reach 150 Test wickets, trailing behind Pakistan’s Waqar Younis. The top bowler came up on a day when India needed inspiration after falling behind 1-0 in the series, and he will be looking to replicate his good form in the second innings.