Boom or bust? That has been the recurring theme of India’s Test cricket since the beginning of the Australia series. Six months down the line, things don’t seem to have changed much. Arguably India’s greatest match-winning bowler of all time, Jasprit Bumrah (3/48), delivered in every spell that he bowled on Saturday. With little or no help at the other end, it was the magnificence of the 30-year-old that helped India keep their nose ahead at the end of the second day.Joe Root’s dismissal, a nervous poke off Bumrah to first slip, gave India the much-needed fillip that the visitors needed after they were sent on a bit of a leather hunt for the better part of two sessions. India could have had the wicket of Harry Brook as well in the last over, but Bumrah’s third no-ball of the over allowed the right-hander a life despite being caught. After Rishabh Pant got his seventh Test century and India scored 471 despite a late mini-collapse, the stage was beautifully set for the four-pronged Indian pace attack to make some serious dent on the English batting on the second day of the first Test at Headingley.
With a thick cloud cover in the post-lunch session when India started bowling, Bumrah was absolutely unplayable. He got an incredible amount of movement with the new ball but there was simply no help from the other end. The mercurial paceman got Zak Crawley (4) in his first over and was making life miserable for Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. But Jadeja at point dropped a sitter offered by Duckett when he was 15 off Bumrah’s bowling, giving a lease of life to the English batting. The fact that both Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna hardly got anything out of the pitch compounded India’s problems.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Shubman Gill, in his first Test as captain, didn’t bring Shardul Thakur on, despite his ability to move the ball in favourable conditions. Pope (batting on 100) and Duckett knew it was a matter of playing Bumrah out, and they did just that. The duo maintained a steady run-rate of five when Bumrah was brought back again for his third spell after tea. Everything seemed to change again. Duckett (62) inside-edged one to be bowled while Pope, now on 60, was dropped at third slip by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Pope didn’t need a second invitation, going on to complete his ninth Test century as England finished the day at 209-3. Earlier, Pant and Gill made hay. The captain started from where he left off on Friday. The bat was coming down straight, he looked to play late and was beautifully balanced. Pant, on the other hand, was slightly more adventurous. However, India lost their last seven wickets for 41 runs and we’ll know in a couple of days’ time if this blip will cost them dear.
