Boria Majumdar in Leeds
I am running out of superlatives for Jasprit Bumrah, who now has 12 five-fors in away Tests at an average of 19. Catches dropped, chances gone begging, little support from the other end, and yet he keeps coming. Relentless and committed, determined and skilful. A bowler of his skill bowling at the top of his powers is pure art. The thrill of watching him steaming in and bowling is exactly what Test cricket is all about.
The moment the ball is handed to him, you kind of know something will happen. The shake of the shoulder, the trudge back to the top of his mark and, on occasion, a wry smile if the batters try and attack him – Bumrah is pure box office. A generational player who needs to be protected at any cost.
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Had the catches, three of them off his bowling, not been dropped, India’s lead would have been at least 75-80. Bumrah bowled his heart out and created chances. And it was as if the batters knew that he is just too good. The predator hunting prey, Bumrah goes about his art with singular purpose. Yes, he was finding it a tad hard to control the swing with the wind, but that did not deter him from trying things. The yorker came out and the bouncer. It was the perfect test for England on home turf.
How many runs India will need is the question doing the rounds in the press box as I write this copy. Some say 300, while others say 275. The truth is, whatever India get, England will know that they have to negotiate Bumrah to get there. He is a solo act in a team game and the man who is the Pied Piper for the format in many ways.
Subhayan Chakraborty, my colleague, just mentioned to me that Bumrah is on 908 points in the ICC ratings ladder – seven more and he will get to where the likes of Pat Cummins and Glenn McGrath have been at their peak. Ask either of them, and they will tell you that if anyone deserves to surpass them, it is Bumrah. The best in the world by a distance, and someone who continues to give India hope. With Bumrah in their ranks, Shubman Gill and India need to bat resolutely to have more than a sniff at a possible 1-0 lead.
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