Former England captain David Gower is in awe of the thrilling batting performance displayed by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami on Day 5 of the second Test at Lord's. With India struggling at 209/8, the match seemed to be heading England's way before the two tail-end batsmen showed solid grit and determination to add an unbeaten 89-run partnership to keep the opposition waiting for a breakthrough.
In the process, Shami peeled off his second Test fifty as India declared on 298/8, setting England 272 to win the Test, a target that proved too much as the home team was skittled for 120 in its second innings. What transpired on the final day took Gower by surprise and the former batsman feels it was unbelievable to see what Bumrah and Shami achieved with the bat.
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"The world has gone mad. The world has gone completely mad when you've got Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah sharing a partnership of 89 on the fifth morning. No one, not even their parents, or their close family, would have predicted that one," Gower told Cricket.com.
England tried to rattle Bumrah early in his innings by having a go at him verbally. But the plan backfired as Bumrah, along with Shami, ensured that no further wickets went down. Gower added that captain Joe Root would look back at his tactics without much pride and that there were certain aspects abut that ploy the England skipper might regret.
{{/usCountry}}England tried to rattle Bumrah early in his innings by having a go at him verbally. But the plan backfired as Bumrah, along with Shami, ensured that no further wickets went down. Gower added that captain Joe Root would look back at his tactics without much pride and that there were certain aspects abut that ploy the England skipper might regret.
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"What was interesting about the final hour was that the passion and emotions got too much for England. Yes they'd been stirred up with the Bumrah and Anderson stuff, but it's amazing how when your emotions take control, your carefully laid plans could become mislaid plans. Every Root had to admit that he got his tactics wrong," Gower mentioned.
"Captaincy is one of those things where sometimes you think you're getting a hang of it. But then you have days like the final morning, and you realize that you’re still learning. In truth, you're always learning - everyday you're captain of any national team.
"But this is not the first time he's been in such a situation. Those are the situations that can make or break a game. As we can now see very vividly. That's where a captain has to be able to say to himself and his players, 'Look, this is our plan. Let's not lose control.' And that's what I'm sure he regrets."