"I have never seen any fast bowler in India bowl the way he has bowled and got us those wickets" - Rohit Sharma recalls Bumrah's spell in Vizag
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has reflected on the memorable Jasprit Bumrah spell in the second Test against England in Vishakapatnam, which helped India make a comeback into the series. The right-arm pacer had finished with nine wickets to his name, and was eventually named Player of the Match for his match-winning efforts.
The Men in Blue had headed into the second Test under a bit of pressure after losing the series opener in Hyderabad. While India had posted 396 in the first innings, courtesy Yashasvi Jaiswal's double hundred, England were cruising at 114-1 after 22 overs in response, with Zak Crawley looking in good touch.
After Axar Patel made the initial breakthrough, Bumrah ran in with the old ball and decimated the English middle order. He set up Joe Root beautifully to have him caught at slips, and then proceeded to bowl one of the greatest deliveries of his career to dismiss Ollie Pope. The England vice-captain had no answer to the searing yorker that saw his stumps being uprooted.
The ace pacer was also responsible for the wickets of Jonny Bairstow, and the tail-enders. He eventually castled Ben Stokes to wrap up the innings, giving India a sizeable lead.
“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 bowl the way he has bowled and got us those wickets," Rohit Sharma said in an interview with team45ro.
Rohit Sharma also noted Jaiswal's efforts in the first innings, where the rest of the batting unit struggled.
“(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 picked up six and three wickets in the two innings respectively, as India won by 106 runs to level the series with three matches to go.
"We now have a great future in cricket in our hands with these players” - Rohit Sharma on Team India's resilience in the fourth Test in Ranchi
Team India were caught in a tricky position in the penultimate contest of the series. After conceding 353 runs in the first innings, the hosts were reeling at 177-7.
It was at this point when Dhriv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav stepped up. Their partnership ensured India crossed the 300-run mark and reduced the lead England would have hoped for.
Even in the second innings, India were in a spot of bother. Chasing the 192-run target, the Men in Blue were cruising at one stage with the score reading 84-0. A subsequent collapse meant that the score was 120-5, with the momentum completely in England's favor.
However, a calm, composed and unbeaten partnership between Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel took India over the line in the end.
Rohit Sharma termed the partnership between Jurel and Kuldeep as the turning point 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 went on to win the final Test in Dharamshala as well, claiming the series 4-1. Many believe it is one of their greatest series wins on home soil, considering the setbacks the team had to face.