Before India headed into the rescheduled Edgbaston Test, captaincy of the team was the biggest hurdle the management needed to cross. Rohit Sharma, who featured in the warm-up game against Leicestershire, was ruled out after testing positive for Covid. Fans wondered if Kohli will be handed the responsibility again but the think tank had other plans. After more than a decade, a bowler was going to lead the team in the longest format of the game; it was Jasprit Bumrah.
The fans and experts were divided in opinion on whether it was a good move. But the 28-year-old pacer gave everyone a clearer picture of his capabilities. Be it with the bat of the ball, if needed Bumrah can easily chip in and leave the opposition stunned and the same thing happened on Saturday.
After getting rid of Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, the Englishmen would have thought of bundling India out before they get 400 runs on board. However, Bumrah changed the course of action with his knock, setting a world record.
The stand-in India captain bludgeoned a hapless Stuart Broad for 35 runs to create a world record for maximum runs off a single over in Test cricket, beating the legendary Brian Lara’s feat by one run.
The world record stayed with Lara for 18 years — he had hit South African left-arm spinner Robin Peterson for 28 runs in a Test match in 2003-04, which included four fours and two sixes off six legal deliveries.
Boom Boom owns Day 2 🔥
After smashing Broad for the most expensive over in Tests with 35 runs, Bumrah dismissed ENG’s Top 3 batters too 🏏
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Bumrah’s whirlwind knock helped India post 416 in the first innings. Later, he ran through the English top-order amid rain hindered the game a couple of times. He returned with the figures of 3 for 35 as England were reduced to 84/5 at stumps the day 2.
Bumrah had by then already known left-handed opener Alex Lees’ (6) weaknesses. He went around the wicket and got one to nip back slightly with the angle as it breached the opener’s defence.
In the case of Zak Crawley (9), Bumrah bowled a fuller delivery on the ‘fourth off-stump’ and Crawley’s drive was snapped up by Shubman Gill stationed at third slip. Similarly, after another rain break, he tested Ollie Pope (10) with another fuller delivery that was slightly wider and the expansive drive only ended in Shreyas Iyer’s hands in the second slip.
(With Agency Inputs)
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