"He showed once again what he is known for" - Ashish Nehra lauds Jasprit Bumrah's performance in the 1st Test
Ashish Nehra has highlighted that Jasprit Bumrah dished out a performance that he is renowned for in the first Test against England.
Bumrah drew some flak for his rather indifferent performance in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand. However, he bounced back brilliantly to register a nine-wicket match haul in the Trent Bridge Test.
While reviewing the first Test on Sony Sports, Ashish Nehra pointed out that he never had any doubts regarding Jasprit Bumrah's form. He said:
"There was some criticism of Jasprit Bumrah, that he is not looking in good form. But I never felt like that. I was never worried and I never felt that we should discuss that his bowling is not going good. It was a matter of time. Once you get two-three wickets, you will see the same Jasprit Bumrah. He showed once again what he is known for."
The former Indian pacer highlighted that it was natural for Jasprit Bumrah to take some time to be back at his potent best under the prevailing circumstances. Nehra elaborated:
"If you see the last one to one-and-a-half years, there have been a lot of problems in the world. It has been start-stop for the players, the bubble is not easy for any player, whether it is a batsman or a bowler, and fast bowling is a thing where you need a little more time to get your rhythm."
Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless in the WTC final and seemed out of sorts. But he scripted a brilliant turnaround and was the most successful Indian bowler in both innings of the first Test against England.
"You will see more five-wicket hauls from Jasprit Bumrah in this series" - Ashish Nehra
Ashish Nehra predicted that Jasprit Bumrah will be at his wicket-taking best for the remainder of the five-Test series.
"The sort of bowler Jasprit Bumrah is, you will see more five-wicket hauls from him in this series. Forget the numbers, it can be four, six or three. Once again his bowling was praiseworthy and the best thing about him is that he knows very well when to put in the extra effort in Test cricket."
The former left-arm pacer signed off by lauding Jasprit Bumrah for striking blows at crucial junctures.
"If you see the second innings, he took one wicket at the start but after that when there was a partnership between Sibley and Joe Root, who broke it - Jasprit Bumrah. As a captain, you want a bowler who gets a breakthrough whenever the team requires."
Jasprit Bumrah had Dom Sibley caught by Rishabh Pant after the England opener strung together an 89-run third-wicket partnership with Joe Root which seemed to be taking the match away from India.