England must be thinking ‘we should have not messed with Jasprit Bumrah’ in Lord’s Test: Zaheer Khan

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan heaped rich praise on Jasprit Bumrah for his all-round performance in India’s come from behind win over England in the Lord’s Test. Zaheer believes the heated exchange with James Anderson acted as a motivation for Bumrah in the Lord’s Test and the Indian pacer channelized the anger in the right way.

Notably, Bumrah peppered James Anderson with short balls in the wee hours of the play on Day 3. The Lancashire man didn’t take it nicely and had a little war of words with the Indian pacer. The drama of this incident escalated on days four and five as other individuals from both teams got into it

India bowled England out for 120 in less than 52 overs after setting the hosts a target of 272. Bumrah was instrumental in securing India’s 1-0 lead, as he first scored 34 vital runs in an unbeaten 89-run partnership with Mohammed Shami and then he registered the figures of 33/3 that included the pivotal removal of Root after tea for a top score of 33.

“If by getting angry, he can carry himself and perform like this, I believe he should at times needle the opposition. See, in the first innings, he had gone wicketless and being the class bowler that he is, I’m sure it must have bothered him,” Zaheer Khan said on Cricbuzz.

“After that, the whole Anderson episode that unfolded, the bouncers he bowled to him and then while batting, the manner in which the England pacer went after him all those things motivated him, and he channelised that anger in the right way. England must be thinking ‘we should have let Bumrah bowl bouncers’ and not mess with him. The intensity with which he bowled, was worth praising.”

“Bowling a slower ball is challenging, but to bowl it from round the wicket, from that angle to get a batsman out LBW, you need bowl from close to the wicket, which is never easy. Bumrah did a very tough job. The thought process was excellent. When you’re coming round the wicket, even the batsman is thinking ‘they might use the bouncer more’. To bring out that kind of variation and to have that thinking to get that wicket, Bumrah was fabulous,” he mentioned.