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Irfan Pathan had questioned India’s utilisation of Jasprit Bumrah following their 22-run defeat to England at Lord’s.
Ben Stokes (left) and Jasprit Bumrah (AP/AFP)
Should India have pushed Jasprit Bumrah to bowl longish spells in the third Test at Lord’s?
Irfan Pathan had said India could’ve better utilisied their best bowler and not use him in short bursts. He cited the example of England captain Ben Stokes who bowled a marathon spell on the final morning of the contest that saw him pick the all-important wicket of KL Rahul to put a major dent in Indian hopes of chasing down 193.
Pathan also said that the concerns over workload shouldn’t have been an issue as Bumrah was already well-rested having skipped the 2nd Test at Edgbaston.
India fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate has dismissed the comparisons citing Bumrah’s strength and effectiveness in short spells.
“Ben was super impressive – bowling with that intensity on Day 5, along with his batting and fielding. But we’re not comparing our bowlers to others. We have our own strengths. Jasprit, for instance, thrives in short, sharp spells, which works for us,” Doeschate said on Thursday.
“Some bowlers- like (Mohammed) Siraj- build into their spells, peaking in their 7th, 8th, or 9th over. Not everyone is the same, and we plan accordingly,” he added.
Pathan’s Criticism Of India
In a video on his YouTube channel while reviewing India’s defeat at Lord’s, Pathan had been critical of how he tourists could have used Bumrah to take control of the game.
“Ben Stokes bowled a marathon spell of 9.2 overs (on Day 5). He bats, bowls, effects run-outs but nobody talks about (his) workload when he’s bowling. Jasprit Bumrah bowled five overs and then was taken off (to wait) for Joe Root – it was the phase when you had to take control of the game,” Pathan observed.
“Stokes wears several hats – batting, bowling, captaincy, fielding – he does everything. If he can bowl a 9-over spell for his team, then I feel we were left behind here. You expect your top bowler to seize the moment. It’s a bit disappointing,” he added.
India are trailing 1-2 in the series and will hope to bounce back in Manchester where the third Test is slated to be played from July 23.
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital…Read More
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital… Read More
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