England Test captain Ben Stokes has played down the threat posed by Jasprit Bumrah, insisting his side has “no fear” of the Indian pace ace ahead of the first Test at Headingley, which kicks off on June 20.
Bumrah, currently ranked the world’s No. 1 Test bowler, boasts a stellar record against England — 60 wickets in 14 matches at an average just above 22 — and has consistently troubled top-order batters like Joe Root, Ollie Pope, and even Stokes himself. Known for his mastery with the Dukes ball, Bumrah’s presence is expected to be key to India’s hopes of winning the series despite the fact will not take part in all five Tests. Still, Stokes isn’t rattled.
“No fear. In international cricket, you’re constantly up against world-class players. We know Bumrah’s quality and what he brings, but fear isn’t part of our mindset,” Stokes said in the pre-match media interaction.
Although Bumrah was India’s top performer during their last Test series in Australia, the team still came up short due to collective underperformance, especially with the bat. Stokes pointed out that the team’s success depends on a full team effort.
“One bowler can’t win you a series. It takes all 11 players. Neither side can rely on just one individual to get the job done,” he added.
England’s batting unit will still need to come up with a plan to blunt Bumrah’s impact if they want to gain the upper hand in the series.
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