Former India pacer Zaheer Khan has lauded Jasprit Bumrah for his calibre and said that the right-arm quick bowler should “at times needle the opposition” if that brings the best out of him.
"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.
The Indian and England players were involved in an altercation on the field during the second Test at Lord’s that visitors eventually won.
India were in a spot of bother in the second innings of the Lord's Test at one stage after getting reduced to 209/8. However, Bumrah and Mohammed Shami frustrated the England bowlers with an unbeaten stand of 89 runs for the ninth wicket.
The Indian bowling attack then unleashed a riveting performance with the ball and thoroughly dominated the home side. Chasing 272, England were bundled out for 120 in the second innings and suffered a defeat by 151 runs.
Talking about the way Bumrah bowled in the second innings, Zaheer said that the pacer channelised his anger in the right manner.
"After 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,” he added.
The two sides will now meet each other for the third Test in Leeds scheduled to begin on August 25.