Jasprit Bumrah’s career record is already among the game’s elite, with 210 wickets in just 46 Tests at an average under 20. India’s team combination for Lord’s remains undecided, though skipper Shubman Gill has confirmed Bumrah will slot back in, likely at the expense of Prasidh Krishna
Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah (Pic: AFP)
India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant believes there’s only one task in cricket tougher than facing Jasprit Bumrah with the bat, keeping wicket to him. As India prepare for the third Test against England at Lord’s, the spotlight is firmly on Bumrah, who returns to the side after being rested during the team’s thumping 336-run win at Edgbaston.
Bumrah’s unorthodox action, combined with his sharp pace off a short run-up, makes him one of the most formidable bowlers in modern cricket. His knack for extracting late movement, especially in England’s seaming conditions, poses problems not just for opposition batters but for his own wicketkeeper as well. The historic slope at Lord’s, an eight-foot (2.5-metre) drop across the ground, only adds to Pant’s workload behind the stumps.
Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the Test, Pant was effusive in his praise for Bumrah’s rare skill set. “I think everything. I think how accurate he is, the way his mind works. I think it's just amazing. I think it's more difficult for the wicketkeeper behind the wicket than for a batsman, I guess, especially in England."
Bumrah’s career record is already among the game’s elite, with 210 wickets in just 46 Tests at an average under 20. India’s team combination for Lord’s remains undecided, though skipper Shubman Gill has confirmed Bumrah will slot back in, likely at the expense of Prasidh Krishna. At Edgbaston, India’s pace trio of Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj and Krishna did most of the damage, complemented by spin-bowling all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.
Asked about whether India would stick to a similar attack, Pant remained cautious. “Discussions are still going on. But we will get to know by tomorrow (Thursday). Sometimes the wicket changes colour, the moisture will become less also. We have to see the wicket and take a call on how the wicket is doing,” he explained.
England, meanwhile, have brought back express pacer Jofra Archer, hoping he can halt India’s momentum. The tourists have piled up seven individual centuries in the first two Tests alone, with Gill responsible for three of them. His mammoth knocks of 269 and 161 at Edgbaston underpinned India’s largest ever overseas Test win by runs.
Pant’s own batting form has been a crucial factor. His brisk 65 in the second innings at Edgbaston shut the door on any England comeback, following on from his remarkable feat at Headingley where he became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score centuries in both innings, despite India losing that match.
Reflecting on his batting approach, Pant said, "I try to have a very clear mindset when I'm batting. Just playing one ball at a time, that is something which has really helped me," said Pant. "What the other team is thinking, yes, I do have an idea of what they want me to do...You have to make your own plans and just play the game.”
(With AFP inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
