England must be thinking 'we should have let Bumrah bowl bouncers' and not messed with him: Zaheer Khan | Cricket - Hindustan Times
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England must be thinking 'we should have let Bumrah bowl bouncers' and not messed with him: Zaheer Khan

Aug 21, 2021 11:29 AM IST

The things that transpired between Jaspreet Bumrah and England, is what Zaheer Khan believes acted as a motivation in the Lord's Test for the Indian pacer.

Zaheer Khan is massively impressed with Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling in the second innings of the Lord’s Test which India won by defeating England by 151 runs on Monday. Bumrah, who went wicketless in the first innings, produced 3/33 in the second innings as he combined with the rest of the Indian pacers to bowl England out for 120, who needed to chase down 272 for victory.

India's Jasprit Bumrah leaps in the air in frustration as India's Virat Kohli fails to catch England's Jos Buttler.(AP)
India's Jasprit Bumrah leaps in the air in frustration as India's Virat Kohli fails to catch England's Jos Buttler.(AP)

Zaheer feels the over which Bumrah bowled to James Anderson on day 3 was the catalyst behind the India pacer’s brilliant show in the second innings. After Bumrah had sent down a thunderous over to Anderson which was filled with bouncers, hitting the veteran England bowler on the helmet and the body, the pacers of the home team tried to go after Bumrah with verbally while he was batting. The tactic however failed miserably as a determined Bumrah put a price on his wicket and with Mohammed Shami, added 89 unbeaten runs for the ninth wicket as India declared on 298/8.

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The things that transpired between Bumrah and England, is what Zaheer believes acted as a motivation and the former India speedster reckons that if this brings the best out of Bumrah, it may not be a bad idea for him to indulge in a bit more needling with the opposition.

"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 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."

Of the three wickets Bumrah picked, one that took the cake was the dismissal of Ollie Robinson. England had to play out 10 overs with three wickets left and Robinson and Jos Buttler were trying to ensure England walked away with a draw. However, a piece of brilliance from Bumrah dented those plans. He came from round the wicket, pulled a trick out of his T20 repertoire – the slower ball – and got Robinson out LBW. Zaheer added that the particular wickets showed the mental space Bumrah was in.

"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.

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