London, February 4: Jasprit Bumrah took the pitch out of the equation and ripped the heart out of England batting line-up bowling awkward angles which made him unplayable, said former captain Alastair Cook.
Bumrah produced a masterclass in reverse swing during a sensational six-wicket haul to bowl out England for 253 and give India a crucial 143-run first innings lead in Vizag.
“Bumrah has carried India through today and has single-handedly changed the course of this game,” Cook, who was England Test captain from 2012 to 2017, told TNT Sports.
“England’s batting card started so well with Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, who played beautifully for 76. His wicket, the first time he came down the wicket and tried to hit leg-side – getting a leading edge – that was the changing point. Bumrah jumped in and ripped the heart out of the England batting line-up.”
I’ve faced Bumrah a number of times, but I don’t think I’ve ever faced him bowling as well as that,” he said. “His awkwardness, his different angles, he creates a different vision for the batter and it makes him sometimes unplayable.”
Bumrah dismissed Joe Root, Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow during an impressive spell. He also cleaned up England skipper Ben Stokes and later got rid off Tom Hartley and James Anderson.
“Root was first to go, Pope to an unplayable in-swinging yorker, Bairstow and Stokes too falling to Bumrah. He has changed the game. He took the pitch out of it; it was down to him and him only. 253 all out is well below par.”