Subhayan Chakraborty in Leeds
The intensity was top-class, as the Indian players and coaching staff stepped onto the field at Headingley in Leeds on Wednesday. After a quick glance at the lush green pitch, which will have 8-millimetre of grass for the game, the new strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux led the players for a round of warm-up in synchrony following which there was a fun fielding session led by T Dilip.
However, as soon as the nets started, one player stood out. Jasprit Bumrah looked like a different beast with the new Dukes in hand. Even when he was warming up, Bumrah troubled Yashasvi Jaiswal in one of the nets. As he picked up pace, trouble for Jaiswal increased manifolds, with the ace Indian pacer making the ball talk. Though Jaiswal didn’t play him much, Bumrah was stellar against the likes of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill.
Bowling full-tilt, Bumrah used the angle and the natural swing to trouble the batters. He finished second in the list of wicket-takers in the previous World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with 77 scalps to his name behind Pat Cummins’ 80. But his bowling average of 15.09 in 28 innings was simply mind-boggling. With conditions suitable for pacers in Leeds, Bumrah would want to start the new WTC with a bang.
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When Rishabh Pant, after taking some throwdowns, entered the nets to take on the pacers, Bumrah was operating at his peak. Pant had to face the very best of the fast bowler. From over the wicket, Bumrah used an awkward angle, wide of the crease, to take the ball away from Pant, as he constantly beat the southpaw with movements in the air and off the pitch. When he came round the wicket, Bumrah bowled close to the stumps but moved the ball both ways to keep the new Indian vice-captain on his toes in what was a fascinating battle between the two.
Against Gill, Bumrah kept on bringing the ball in but the India captain kept his defence tight and focused on defending the ball close to his body. Against the likes of Sai Sudharsan and Rahul, Bumrah was simply unplayable as the ball constantly zipped past the edges.
For Bumrah, the start of the tour in Leeds looks good and now the onus will be on him to lead the attack like he always does.
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