IND v ENG 2024: “Don't know what Stokes was thinking,” Bumrah reacts to England captain’s bewildered look after dismissal

Stokes wore a bewildered look after being castled by Bumrah for the second Test in a row.

Jasprit Bumrah | PTIIndia’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah made the England batters dance to his tunes on Day 2 of the second Test in Visakhapatnam.

In reply to India’s first innings score of 396, the visitors were in a strong position at 114/2 in the 23rd over. However, Bumrah ran through the English batting line-up with an incredible spell of reverse-swing bowling.

Across three destructive spells in the last two sessions, the right-arm quick returned with a remarkable bowling figures of 6/45 in 15.5 overs.

Joe Root (5), Ollie Pope (23), Jonny Bairstow (25), Ben Stokes (47), Tom Hartley (21) and James Anderson (6) were his victims as England’s innings folded for 253, conceding a significant first-innings lead of 143 runs.

In particular, the dismissal of Pope went viral on social media as Bumrah cleaned up the right-hander with a beaming in-swinging yorker.

Stokes’ dismissal also became the talk of the town as the England captain wore a bewildered look after being castled by Bumrah for the second Test in a row.

"I don't know what Stokes was thinking but I attempted an outswing but the ball went straight so I think maybe he had seen the shine and thought the ball would go away but it came in straight and he got bowled," said Bumrah in the post-day presser, reacting to Stokes’ bewildered look.

"We know he is a dangerous batsman at that moment when he bats with the lower-order as he bats with freedom and takes lot of chances," he added.

Bumrah is someone who takes his failure and success in a matter of fact manner and it was no different when asked about his bowling effort on Day 2 in Vizag.

"In first class cricket, if you want to take wickets in India, you have to learn to bowl reverse swing. Probably, I learned to bowl reverse swing before the conventional swing because you play a lot of cricket on slow wickets," he said.

"So you understand what you have to do over here. You have to find a way, what are the areas that you have to hit. So, yeah, in the nets, you practice all of those skills and try and execute (to get wickets)."

Sharing his thought process before knocking over Pope, Bumrah said: "At that time, the ball was relatively hard. So yes, there was some reverse swing. In reverse swing, you don't have to bowl magical deliveries every ball.

"So I had bowled a few away going deliveries and then there was a thought going on in my head that what do I bowl? I should bowl a length delivery coming in or should I go for a yorker? But I had not bowled a yorker till then. I thought okay might as well take a chance with that and it did swing a lot. The execution was good, very happy with that."

Bumrah got the better of Root and Bairstow with away swingers. While the pacer doesn't like to rate his performances, both those wickets were extremely important considering the stage of the game.

"I'm still playing, so hopefully more deliveries will come in my way. That phase was very important. To get Root and Pope at that time was very important for us because you understand that wicket does not do a lot and the wicket was a little on the slower side," he said.

Bumrah has a lot of variations up his sleeve and the world has seen that especially in white-ball cricket. However, he understands the importance of patience in the five-day format.

"Test cricket teaches you patience, isn't' it? When you try and bowl magical deliveries now and then, it doesn't work. Even if you have everything you don't need to use everything at one particular time. "You understand what is working today and what is the need of the hour. Try to focus on the now. Earlier, if I have thought about taking six wickets, it has never worked for me. I have a lot of deliveries and you can confuse yourself. You need to shut that noise and focus on the next ball," he remarked.

(With PTI Inputs)

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 04 Feb, 2024

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