Leeds, June 23: India’s fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah said his magnificent 5-83 against England in the ongoing first Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Headingley was down to him focusing on what worked well for him after assessing conditions.
Bumrah was India’s standout bowler on day three’s play as his figures of 5-83 in 24.4 overs- his 14th five-wicket haul in Tests – ensured India got a narrow six-run lead after bowling out England for 465 in their first innings.
Bumrah, who picked his third five-wicket haul in England, has also equalled the legendary Kapil Dev for the most fifers for India in away Tests (12).
“I felt good in the first innings. Sometimes the downward slope helps and the wind was also decent, so that gives you a push.
Sometimes when you see the dukes ball you can try to bowl banana swing and magic balls, but I was trying to focus on what worked for me,” said Bumrah on Sky Sports’ broadcast ahead of day four’s play on Monday.
Asked to dissect his dismissal of Zak Crawley in the presence of former India head coach Ravi Shastri, Bumrah explained, “Pretty much, you want to hit the seam and you want to get some swing early on if you’re bowling with the new ball. So that is what I was looking to do. It was cloudy weather at that time.
“Usually over here, the Duke ball sometimes never swings with the new ball. Slightly, when it gets a little older, it starts to do consistently. But the ball was swinging from the word go. So I was trying to bowl a nice length and tried to bring him forward, and it was a good execution on that day.”
Further quizzed about the fingers he uses for making the ball swing and seam, Bumrah stated, “I’m slightly different – so I don’t use my index finger.
I use the big figure all the time. So I try to flick the ball. When I want to bowl an outswing, I flick it this way.
When I want to bowl the inswing, I flick it inside because I can’t usually change my arm path too much because of the way my bowling style is.“So I usually use my second finger for whichever swing I want to do because that’s how I’ve always bowled. I’ve learned this over the years as well that I can’t really change my arm path. Yes, I do change from where I want to bowl from the crease, but I try to flick it when I want to bowl it either way.”
Bumrah signed off by saying he was pleased with the rhythm he had while picking the five-wicket haul at Headingley.
“The rhythm felt really good even in Beckenham, where we were practicing. Since I’ve come here after the IPL, the rhythm felt very good.
So I was just trying to be in that zone and trying to take it to the game that I am not trying too much or not to get too aggressive.”
With conditions favouring disciplined seam bowling and Bumrah staying true to his strengths, India found their anchor on a testing day at Headingley.
His ability to assess, adapt, and execute with surgical precision once again underlined why he remains India’s most potent weapon with the red ball.
As the Test delicately hangs in the balance, Bumrah’s masterclass has not only given India a crucial edge but also added another golden chapter to his ever-growing legacy. (IANS)
