Sachin Tendulkar has lauded Jasprit Bumrah's exceptional bowling performance in the ongoing Test match against England, but also pointed out the lapses in the Indian fielding that prevented Bumrah from achieving an even more remarkable feat. Bumrah's fiery spell helped India bowl out England for 465, securing a slender first-innings lead.
Tendulkar, in a post on social media platform X, congratulated Bumrah on his five-wicket haul but subtly highlighted the missed opportunities in the field. He noted that "A no-ball and 3 missed chances stood between you and nau wickets," subtly criticizing the fielders for their poor effort. Several catches were dropped during Bumrah's bowling, which allowed England to get closer to India's first innings total. These errors not only impacted Bumrah's figures but also put the team under pressure.
Specifically, Tendulkar pointed out that off Bumrah's bowling alone, India dropped four catches. Yashasvi Jaiswal was responsible for dropping three of these chances, while Ravindra Jadeja missed one. Harry Brook was the beneficiary of these dropped catches, receiving reprieves twice, once when he was batting on 46 and again when he reached 82. Although Brook ultimately fell short of a century, getting caught by Shardul Thakur off Prasidh Krishna's bowling on 99, he had already inflicted substantial damage on the Indian team by the time of his dismissal. The no-ball Tendulkar referred to was when Brook was on 0, he was given out on a Bumrah delivery, but it was declared a no-ball.
Despite the fielding errors, Bumrah's performance was nothing short of extraordinary. He accounted for the wickets of Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, and Josh Tongue, showcasing his versatility and skill. This is Bumrah's 10th five-wicket haul in SENA nations, becoming the first-ever Indian to touch this figure. Two more five-wicket hauls will take him above Pakistan legend Wasim Akram (11 SENA fifers). It was his 12th five-wicket haul in away Tests, equalling that of former Indian skipper Kapil Dev. Bumrah achieved this feat in 34 Test matches as compared to 66 matches by Kapil.
Bumrah's ability to perform in diverse conditions is a testament to his talent and hard work. He has four five-wicket hauls in Australia, three in England, three each in England and South Africa and two in the West Indies. Only two of his five-wicket hauls have come in India.
The dropped catches off Bumrah's bowling proved costly, as England's tailenders were able to reduce India's lead. Had the catches been taken, India could have potentially gained a more significant advantage.
The match is now delicately poised, with India needing to bat well in their second innings to set England a challenging target. The Indian team will need to address their fielding concerns and ensure that they support their bowlers better in the remainder of the match. The team's catching needs to improve significantly if they want to consistently win test matches, especially in overseas conditions.
