Team India captain Rohit Sharma has reminisced about Jasprit Bumrah’s remarkable spell during the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam. Bumrah’s performance, which yielded nine wickets, played a crucial role in India’s comeback in the series, earning him the Player of the Match award.
India entered the second Test under pressure after losing the series opener in Hyderabad. Despite posting 396 runs in the first innings, led by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s double century, England seemed comfortable at 114-1 after 22 overs, with Zak Crawley displaying impressive form.
Following Axar Patel’s early breakthrough, Bumrah surged forward with the old ball, dismantling the English middle order. He tactfully set up Joe Root, leading to his dismissal caught at slips, and then delivered one of his career’s finest deliveries to dismiss Ollie Pope.
The searing yorker left the England vice-captain no chance as it uprooted the stumps. The top-tier fast bowler also accounted for the dismissals of Jonny Bairstow and the lower-order batsmen, culminating in the bowling out of Ben Stokes to secure a significant lead for India.
“That Bumrah spell at Vizag was unreal. On a flat pitch and 35-36 degrees, it is nearly impossible for a fast bowler to bowl that spell. And then comes Bumrah, who gets the ball to reverse both sides and brings the team into the game.”
“I have never seen any fast bowler in India bowled the way he has bowled and got us those wickets,” Rohit Sharma said in an interview with team45ro.
Rohit Sharma also acknowledged Jaiswal’s contributions in the first innings, particularly when the rest of the batting lineup encountered difficulties.
“(Yashasvi) Jaiswal’s innings (209) covered half the percentage of the team’s score, while the next best was 30-40.”
”For us to come back into the Test series and perhaps win the next three matches on the trot, someone had to put their hand up to bail the team out in the second match. And for the same, there was Bumrah and Jaiswal,” Rohit Sharma added.
Bumrah also claimed three wickets in the second innings as India secured a 106-run victory, levelling the series with three matches remaining.
“We now have a great future in cricket in our hands with these players” – Rohit Sharma
In the second-to-last match of the series, Team India found themselves in a challenging situation against the visiting England side. After giving away 353 runs in the first innings, the hosts were struggling at 177-7.
However, Dhriv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav’s partnership proved crucial, helping India surpass the 300-run mark and minimizing England’s lead.
In the second innings, India faced difficulties as they chased the 192-run target. Initially, they were comfortably placed at 84-0. However, a sudden collapse saw the score plummet to 120-5, with England gaining momentum.
However, a composed partnership between Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel guided India to victory. Rohit Sharma described the partnership between Jurel and Kuldeep as the pivotal moment of the series.
“The partnership (76 runs) between (Dhruv) Jurel and Kuldeep in the fourth Test at Ranchi turned out to be series-defining because that is where we won the series. Otherwise, it would have been 2-2.”
“In the end, on Day 4, when Jurel and (Shubhman) Gill batted when the team was 120/5, we thought we were on the back foot and a 40-run partnership was needed at the very least,” Rohit Sharma said.
“But then, Jurel and Gill came forward and showed what they were made of. We got to see how, in such a situation, these guys stitched a partnership and played that brand of cricket while absorbing pressure.”
“Seeing from the outside, it was a sheer delight to watch these guys batting it out in that situation. That got me thinking that, yes, we now have a great future in cricket in our hands with these players,” he concluded.
India proceeded to win the final Test in Dharamshala, securing the series 4-1. This victory stands out as one of the most remarkable series wins on home turf, given the challenges the team encountered.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
