Jasprit Bumrah Shines Despite India's Narrow Defeat at Lord's

Bumrah's Stellar Performance Highlights India's Struggles

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 15: Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar praised Jasprit Bumrah's exceptional display during the third Test against England at Lord's, noting that his ability to showcase greatness in various situations has become a hallmark of his career.

The match concluded with a heartbreaking 22-run defeat for India, marked by an unfortunate dismissal of Mohammed Siraj, whose wicket fell to Shoaib Bashir as the ball rolled back into the stumps. This loss leaves India trailing 1-2 in the series.

Despite dominating significant portions of the match, India could not secure a win, with Bumrah emerging as a standout performer, claiming seven wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings.

Bumrah's impact was evident as he shifted the momentum in India's favor during the first innings, reducing England from 251/4 to 271/7 by taking crucial wickets of skipper Ben Stokes, centurion Joe Root, and all-rounder Chris Woakes.

In the second innings, Bumrah faced challenges against England's top order, but he persevered, eventually claiming the wickets of lower-order batsmen Brydon Carse and Woakes after Washington Sundar dismantled the middle order.

On the show 'Follow the Blues', Manjrekar analyzed Bumrah's performance, stating, 'In the first innings, Bumrah demonstrated his exceptional bowling skills. The pitch did not provide much assistance, yet he bowled with patience, waiting for the right moments. When the opportunity arose in the latter half of the innings, he was ready and took five wickets on a challenging surface.'

He further noted, 'When Sundar took four vital wickets in the second innings and India needed to wrap up England quickly, Bumrah stepped up again. His yorker to dismiss Brydon Carse is still vivid in my memory. His ability to show greatness in different ways has become Bumrah's legacy.'

Manjrekar attributed India's loss to several 'minor errors', including Rishabh Pant's unfortunate run-out for 74, which ended a promising 141-run partnership with KL Rahul on day three. This partnership could have significantly contributed to India's first innings lead if not for Stokes' brilliant fielding that initiated the run-out.

'Reflecting on the turning points and small mistakes, I believe India lost this Test match due to these minor errors. There were no significant blunders; even Pant's run-out was a minor mistake. However, the brilliance of Ben Stokes shone through. He mentioned in an interview that Pant hesitated slightly, sensing an opportunity for a run-out. Stokes executed a fielding masterclass right in the middle of his bowling spell. That's the hallmark of a champion cricketer. Pant may have been trying to give KL Rahul a chance to get back on strike and complete his century. But as I said, the team did not make any major errors; it was the accumulation of small ones that ultimately made the difference,' he added.

England won the toss and chose to bat first, initially struggling at 44/2. However, a 109-run partnership between Ollie Pope (44 off 104 balls) and Joe Root (104 off 199 balls) helped stabilize their innings, along with a counter-attacking 84-run stand for the eighth wicket between Brydon Carse (56 off 83 balls) and Jamie Smith (51 off 56 balls), leading England to a total of 387.

Jasprit Bumrah was the standout bowler for India, finishing with figures of 5/74.

In India's second innings, they lost Yashasvi Jaiswal early, but a 61-run partnership between Karun Nair (26 off 46 balls) and KL Rahul, followed by a 141-run stand between KL (100 off 177 balls) and Rishabh Pant (74 off 112 balls), brought India close to England's score. Ravindra Jadeja's impressive half-century (72 off 131 balls) and contributions from Nitish Kumar Reddy (30) and Washington Sundar (23) helped India match England's total of 387.

Chris Woakes was England's leading bowler in this innings, taking 3/84.

In England's second innings, India maintained pressure, except for a 67-run fifth-wicket partnership between Root (40 off 96 balls) and Stokes (33 off 96 balls). Sundar's remarkable spell (4/22) dismantled England's middle order, bowling them out for 192, setting India a target of 193.

During the chase, India found themselves in a precarious position at 82/7. However, Jadeja (61* off 181 balls) refused to give up, forming resilient partnerships with lower-order batsmen that kept England on edge. Unfortunately, Siraj's unlucky dismissal, where the ball spun back onto the stumps, led to India's collapse at 170.

India now trails 1-2 in the series, with Stokes earning the 'Player of the Match' award for his contributions of 44 and 33 runs, along with a total of five wickets in the match, including a three-wicket haul in the second innings alongside Jofra Archer, who also claimed three wickets.