'Facing Him Isn't Like...': Stuart Broad On Jasprit Bumrah's Bowling

image-ls8hstzoJasprit Bumrah bowled exceptionally in Vizag (x.com)

Indian bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah took the cricketing world by storm during the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam. Contrary to expectations that the pitch would favour spinners, the 30-year-old speedster clinched six wickets, causing a significant dent in England's batting lineup. Courtesy of Bumrah, the visitors were dismissed for 253, handing India a massive lead of 143 runs.


Stuart Broad heaps praise on Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah's spell was highlighted by a series of remarkable deliveries, including a sensational yorker that dismissed Ollie Pope and a devastating ball that took out Ben Stokes. Jasprit Bumrah wickets also included the scalps of prominent batsmen like Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Hartley, and James Anderson.

In his column for The Mail, former English pacer Stuart Broad lavished praise on Bumrah's unique bowling style and effectiveness across formats, highlighting his exceptional skills in Test cricket over even his renowned T20 brilliance. The England veteran also revealed how he used to hate facing Bumrah.

“He's an incredible T20 bowler, but as his record attests, he is even more effective in Test cricket. Statistically, he is right up there with the very best to have played the game. Facing him isn't like facing anyone else in the world and I used to hate it,” wrote Broad.


Broad further pointed out Bumrah's distinctive approach to fast bowling, noting his ability to generate extraordinary whip through his action by bracing his front leg. This technique, according to Broad, allows Bumrah to release the ball closer to the batsman than most, making his deliveries particularly challenging to face. He also commended Bumrah's comprehensive skill set, including his aptitude for swinging the new ball and mastering reverse swing with the older one.

“He creates such whip at the crease by bracing his front leg – always a good sign for bowling fast – and then releasing the ball, not over his head or even his front foot, but a good foot closer to the bat. Bumrah has also got a complete array of skills. He is able to swing the new ball both ways away from left-handers from around the wicket or, as we witnessed on Saturday, get the older ball reverse-swinging,” added the legendary bowler.

Meanwhile, after a terrific performance in Vizag, Bumrah will look to replicate his performance in the rest of the matches and help India maintain their dominance at home in the longest format of the game.