Jasprit Bumrah To Silence Joe Root Again? Player Battles To Watch Out In IND vs ENG 1st Test

Joe Root vs Jasprit Bumrah [Source: @thesportsbash/x.com]

It’s a brand-new chapter in the India vs England Test saga and it all kicks off at Headingley, Leeds with the first of the five-match Test series on Friday, June 20. The high-voltage clash is set to kick off at 3:30 PM (IST).

After Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirements, Shubman Gill has stepped in as India’s new Test skipper while England will bank on its fearless brand of cricket, Bazball, to rattle cages.

But beneath all the team talk, this Test is loaded with fiery one-on-one battles, the kind of battles that could tip the scales either way. Let’s take a look at five player battles that could shape the outcome of the IND vs ENG 1st Test.

1. Joe Root vs Jasprit Bumrah

• This one is a classic. England’s Mr. Dependable vs India’s spearhead with the ball. Bumrah has made life anything but easy for Joe Root, getting rid of him 9 times in 24 Test innings.
• Root has managed 286 off 559 balls, which tells you how much he has had to grind. The real stinger? Across all formats, Bumrah’s gotten Root out 13 times.
• Bumrah’s awkward angle and late movement always seem to ask too many questions. And while Root has been England’s spine for a while, if Bumrah gets into his head early, it will be curtains for England’s top order.

2. Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Shoaib Bashir

• Yashasvi Jaiswal’s numbers against Bashir? They are not just dominant, it’s bordering on bullying. In just five innings, the Indian southpaw has hammered 185 runs off 196 balls at an average of 92.50.
• Bashir’s off-spin has looked toothless every time Jaiswal has danced down the track or rocked back to punish the loose ones.
• This is a classic "fire meets ice" battle. If Bashir doesn’t find a way to tie Jaiswal down early, he will be hunting leather all day. The young southpaw doesn’t just play spin well, he thrives on it.

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3. Joe Root vs Ravindra Jadeja

• It’s chess when Joe Root faces Ravindra Jadeja. The Englishman has piled up 500 runs against the left-arm spinner in 31 Test innings at a stunning average of 62.50 but has also fallen to him 8 times. That makes it a fascinating see-saw.
• Jadeja’s darts don’t give you breathing space and Root’s strength lies in milking those gaps. Their battles are less about attacking strokes and more about survival, strategy and squeezing the game inch by inch.
• Whoever comes out on top here, wins more than just bragging rights, they control the tempo of the match.

4. Ollie Pope vs Jasprit Bumrah

• This battle has been brutally one-sided. Bumrah vs Pope has been a demolition derby in disguise.
• In 13 innings, Jasprit Bumrah has knocked over Pope 5 times and leaked just 86 runs. That is an average of 17.2, not what you want from your No.3.
• Pope’s technique often struggles against pace that tails in and Bumrah knows exactly where to pitch it. If Pope wants to rewrite the script this time, he will need to bring out some steel.

5. Ben Stokes vs Ravindra Jadeja

• When two alpha cricketers collide, expect sparks. Jadeja vs Stokes has always been full of tension and in 19 Test innings, the Indian all-rounder has nailed him 6 times.
• Ben Stokes has managed just 125 runs off 236 balls, barely scratching past the 20-mark average.
• The left-arm spinner teases Stokes into false strokes and with Headingley expected to take turn as the game wears on, this could be a proper firecracker of a contest. If Jadeja gets him early, England’s middle order could be skating on thin ice.

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