In a match that has already seen 4 hundreds, Jasprit Bumrah’s ability to squeeze out wickets stands out, according to Sanjay Manjrekar. Speaking to Match Centre Live after Day 2, the cricket expert said Bumrah’s effort was truly special on a batting beaut of a pitch.
“We’ve seen four hundreds in the match so far — three from India and one from England — but which bowler has been truly special? For me, it’s just Bumrah. Yet, just the ability to manufacture a wicket every time he came into the attack is what stands out,” he said, making some deservingly tall comparisons. “The one bowler that comes to mind, someone with that kind of impact single-handedly, is Sir Richard Hadlee. He played for a New Zealand team with a relatively weaker attack, but every time he came on, you felt a wicket was around the corner. The common thread between the two is mastery — when I watched Hadlee from close quarters, he felt like a true master of his trade. I get that same impression with Bumrah.”
Manjrekar was especially raving about Bumrah’s last over to Ollie Pope and its impact. “With Ollie Pope’s hundred for me, it was also Bumrah in the final over. Just look at this guy — the kind of wicket he picked on a pitch like this. We saw during the 2023 Cricket World Cup how he put himself in a different league from the rest of the fast bowlers, and here he is doing it again. The dismissal came with such nonchalance, and that’s something only Bumrah can manufacture,” he told the home broadcast.
Ben Stokes managed the same for England, Manjrekar said, to some degree, but Bumrah did it consistently. “In that final over, with Harry Brook trying to survive, what happened was pure drama. We witnessed the genius of Bumrah when he got him to pull a short ball he hadn’t used at all throughout the innings. The setup was brilliant — delivery after delivery outside the off stump — and then came that surprise bouncer. Nowhere in the corner of his mind would Harry Brook have expected it. It came, and he instinctively played the shot,” he gushed.
He also lauded the inherent talent and quality of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant during their 209 run partnership. “What stands out about this 209-run partnership is how easily they compiled the runs. Rishabh Pant was slightly different in approach, but you just got the impression that both batters had plenty left in the tank. Their radar was switched on sharply when Ben Stokes came into the attack, but for the rest of the bowlers, it felt like a walk in the park. This says a lot about the sheer ability and inherent batting quality that Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant have. What excites me even more is the camaraderie we’re seeing between them — the conversations, the understanding. This is going to be something I’ll be looking forward to in the future,” he said.
Sanjay Manjrekar also rated Ollie Pope’s innings high, because it has come against Bumrah. “When you look at Pope’s average, it doesn’t seem that impressive. But the way he started on Day 2 — with so much intent, looking to score runs — he will be very proud of this hundred. He has a century against India before, but this one came against a bowling attack featuring Jasprit Bumrah, and in English conditions. So he’ll certainly value this one more, and you could see from his celebration how satisfied he was,” he said.
