ENG vs IND: Vaughan praises Jasprit Bumrah's near-perfect new ball spell at Lord's

India Today

a day ago

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has lauded India's spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for his near-perfect spell with the new ball on Day Four of the ongoing Lord's Test. The right-arm pacer hit immaculate lengths on a misbehaving pitch, leaving England's usually aggressive openers-Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett-struggling for answers on a surface that had started to pose real challenges for the batters.advertisementIndia was bowled out for 387 in their second innings, leaving just enough time for a minimum of two overs before the close of play on Day Three. However, the incoming English openers had to face only a solitary over before stumps were called on the penultimate day of the third match in the series.Moments before play ended on Day Three, a heated exchange occurred between Crawley and the Indian fielders after Bumrah struck the opener on the glove with a sharp delivery. Crawley appeared in pain and required treatment from the physiotherapist, leading to just one over being bowled in that short session and visibly unsettling the English pair.
With the ball still fresh on Day Four, Bumrah took full advantage of Lord's subtle, but telling slope, delivering a spell of sustained intensity and precision. Though the wickets column may not reflect his dominance, the 31-year-old's fiery spell left a lasting impact."When you've got a Jasprit Bumrah, his spell on the morning of Day Four was up there with the best," Vaughan said on Cricbuzz. "How is Zak Crawley's hand still intact? How didn't he get out-or Ollie Pope during that period-is beyond me. On that kind of wicket, once you've seen off Bumrah, to be bowled out from 145-4... whatever happens in the Test, they should be analysing that. I think we should've got at least 250-270 on that surface."Bumrah repeatedly unsettled the tall right-hander Crawley, forcing him into awkward positions during the first session. The intensity of the spell pinned the English top order back, preventing them from asserting their usual aggressive intent and building pressure as the match gathered pace.Both teams posted identical scores-387-in their first innings. As often seen in the Bazball era, England aimed to keep the game alive and entertaining, even when a draw seemed a strong possibility. But this high-risk approach can backfire. On a pitch offering unpredictable bounce and movement, attacking bowlers can turn a bold strategy into a sudden collapse."I saw enough in the surface on Day Three. The ball started doing a bit," Vaughan added. "We don't do boring draws-we always create a bit of drama-and the Bazballers generally like to entertain. Not saying that's the reason for the collapse, but I'm sure they'd have wanted another 100 runs."With half a session left on Day Four, India's second innings got off to a rocky start. Despite being visibly fatigued, the English pacers maintained remarkable discipline. Brydon Carse, bowling with rhythm, produced sharp nip-backers to dismiss Karun Nair and in-form skipper Shubman Gill cheaply. Then, Ben Stokes uprooted nightwatchman Akashdeep's off-stump, leaving India tottering at 58/4 at stumps.- EndsTune InMust Watch