'Brilliant' Bumrah

After India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s double ton, pacer Jasprit‘s (6-45) searing reverse swing, demolishes England for 253; India end Day Two with 28-0

It would always take a special effort to emulate Yashasvi Jaiswal’s heroics on Saturday. Fortunately for India, a special bowler put his hand up, producing a 
spell for the ages to haul them into the driver’s seat on the second day of the second Test against England.

Jaiswal’s maiden double ton 

Jaiswal converted his overnight 179 not out to 209, a seven-hour stint of judicious defence and prudent stroke-play. It was on the back of his magnificent hand that the hosts reached 396, adding 60 to their day-one tally of 336 for six. On a surface showing signs of wear and tear, four shy of 400 wasn’t a trifling total.
Through Zak Crawley, England were threatening to smash India to smithereens when Bumrah came charging to his team’s rescue. Uncharacteristically, he had been taken for three fours in one over by Crawley in his first spell of 4-1-24-0. As if touched to the quick, he returned for three outstanding bursts of sustained hostility marked by searing reverse swing.

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Making the ball duck this way and move away that, he had England’s middle order in knots on his way to stunning figures of six for 45 from 15.5 overs. In the morning, the venerable 41-year-old James Anderson bowled a wonderful spell with the second new ball in an eight-over burst that fetched him two for 17. The thousands at the ACA-VDCA Stadium on Saturday were later treated to a masterly exhibition with an older ball by the younger Indian, whose incisiveness was primarily responsible for India restricting England to 253.

Advantage India

Armed with a lead of 143, India extended their advantage to 171 by stumps, Rohit Sharma and Jaiswal untroubled in adding 28 in five overs.  India’s hopes of extending their first-innings tally rested with Jaiswal and R Ashwin, but the latter was the first of Anderson’s two victims, opened up by a leg-cutter that he followed to Ben Foakes. Jaiswal brought up 200 with a four off Shoaib Bashir, but India’s tail didn’t wag and England were out with the bat before lunch.

Mukesh Kumar leaked boundaries with Ben Duckett off to a cracker, and Crawley then took over with the openers realised 59 when Kuldeep Yadav provided the breakthrough, having the former caught at silly point off the splice. Crawley continued to attack, racing to 76 before a terrific running catch by Shreyas Iyer put Axar Patel in business and gave India some breathing room.That was enough for Bumrah to weave his magic. In Hyderabad, he had plucked out Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow in the second innings with reverse. This time, his victims included Root, Ollie Pope—bowled neck and crop by a sensational Yorker—as well as Bairstow again and the counter-attacking Ben Stokes. He looked like taking a wicket every ball in each of his last three spells. The crowd went ‘Bumrah’, ‘Bumrah’, ‘Bumrah’, the stumps went flying and India went ahead significantly.

Brief scores
India 396 (Y Jaiswal 209; J Anderson 3-47) & 28-0 (Y Jaiswal 15*, Rohit 13*) v England 253 (Z Crawley 76; J Bumrah 6-45, Kuldeep 3-71)

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