Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik remarked that England opener Zak Crawley stood no chance against Jasprit Bumrah’s outstanding delivery with the new ball on Day 2 of the first Test. Bumrah produced a beauty to dismiss Crawley for just four runs in the very first over at Headingley, Leeds.
Having already fallen to Bumrah four times prior to this Test, Crawley faced a tough challenge with the new ball under overcast skies. Though he edged one boundary mid-over, he looked uncomfortable throughout. Eventually, Bumrah delivered a ball that angled in and then straightened after pitching, catching the edge of Crawley’s bat.
Karun Nair held the catch at first slip after Crawley, expecting a bodyline delivery, exposed his edge while defending. The late movement beat him completely, resulting in his dismissal. Dinesh Karthik analyzed the delivery from Crawley’s perspective and noted that the batter was completely beaten by it.
“When someone is coming mid-box, and trying to align it towards the middle stump, the first instinct is to play it on the leg side. Now, if you want to play it on the leg side, you open up because you want to give the bat some room to work with.”
“That is exactly what Zak Crawley has done, he is a good leg side player, so he opened himself up, but Bumrah’s genius made the ball go out from there, and he just opened him up like a can of beans,” Dinesh Karthik said on Sky Sports Cricket.
Jasprit Bumrah shines with 3 wickets on Day 2
Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has accounted for all three England wickets to fall on Day 2, once again leading the bowling effort. He removed Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Joe Root to keep India in the contest.
Bumrah nearly claimed a fourth wicket in the final over of the day by dismissing Harry Brook, but the delivery was ruled a no-ball. At Stumps, England stand at 209/3, with Ollie Pope, who has scored a century, and Harry Brook unbeaten at the crease. The hosts still trail India by 262 runs in the first innings.
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