India vs England Live Score, 4th Test Day 1: IND look to seal series as they take on ENG in penultimate Test in Ranchi | Cricket News
Bumrah has been the new-ball intimidator, the reverse-swing executioner, the middle-over marauder, the soul and voice of the team. To overshadow a group of spinners with a collective haul of 831 demonstrates the insuperable versatility of his craft. (PTI/Reuters)
IND v ENG: Jasprit Bumrah has been India’s lead act so far, now over to R Ashwin and Co in Ranchi to spin their web
At different times during India’s practice session on Wednesday, their trifecta of spinners inspected the pitch for the Ranchi Test. A padded-up Kuldeep Yadav strode in first, swishing his bat, had a couple of quick glances before hurrying to the practice ground, cutely named the Oval. Ravindra Jadeja walked in next, after he had wrapped up his session, peered at the patch with dry grass. Ashwin lingered longer, probing the surface from various angles. In the absence of their best friend in this series, Bumrah, the spinners would hope the pitch would dust up its old affection.
The spinners indeed have played their support cast roles in putting India 2-1 up but Bumrah has played the lead act. He has not only been India’s leading wicket-taker, but also the only bowler who seemed like he could rip through an attack. In a sense the whole talk of India serving up a turner originates from Bumrah’s absence, from the doubt that whether the spinners alone could stop the Bazballers on a benign turner.
Bumrah has been the new-ball intimidator, the reverse-swing executioner, the middle-over marauder, the soul and voice of the team. To overshadow a group of spinners with a collective haul of 831 demonstrates the insuperable versatility of his craft. That India would miss him is an understatement—Vikram Rathour would sigh that they would have played him for every game but for workload management. That England would be relieved is obvious—“it’s great not to see him here,” Ollie Pope would admit. It’s hard to think of a precedent when an Indian fast bowler was a more fearsome proposition at home than their lineage of world-beating spinners. (READ MORE)
