Mumbai Indians’ Director of Cricket Operations Zaheer Khan is pretty impressed with pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s show in the second Test match against England at Lord’s, where India won by 151 runs. 

Jasprit Bumrah was involved in a heated exchange with James Anderson in that game, which the former Indian bowler believes motivated Bumrah to do better in the game, The Times of India said. 

“If by getting angry, he can carry himself and perform like this, I believe he should at times needle the opposition. See in the first innings, he had gone wicketless and being a world class bowler that he is, I am sure it must have bothered him,” Zaheer reportedly said. 

“After that, the whole Anderson episode that unfolded, the bouncers he bowled to him and then while batting, the manner in which the England pacer went after him, all those things motivated him, and he channelised that anger in the right way. England must be thinking, ‘we should’ve let Bumrah bowl bouncers’ and not mess with him. The intensity with which he bowled was worth praising.” 

For context, Bumrah had bowled a 10-ball over to Anderson on Day 3 of the Test, which included four instances of overstepping the line. He also directed short-pitched deliveries, but Anderson managed to stay safe, before falling to Mohammed Shami in the next over. While he walked back to the dressing room, Bumrah and Anderson exchanged a few unfriendly words. 

“Bowling a slower ball is challenging, but to bowl it from around the wicket, from that angle to get a batsman out LBW, you need to bowl from close to the wicket, which is never easy. Bumrah did a very tough job. The thought process was excellent.” 

“When you’re coming round the wicket, even the batsman is thinking ‘they might use the bouncer more.’ To bring out variations of that kind and to have that thinking to get that wicket, Bumrah was fabulous,” the former Indian pacer added. 

Bumrah was involved in a fighting partnership with Mohammed Shami worth 89 runs in the second innings of the game. He then took 3/33, including the wicket of Joe Root, a crucial breakthrough for India in the game.