On day two of the third Test match against England at Lord’s, Jasprit Bumrah held back from making contentious remarks on the Dukes’ numerous ball changes. India’s captain, Shubman Gill, got into heated arguments with the umpires over replacement balls throughout the day’s several ball changes, which brought attention to the problem.
India had reservations about a 10-over-old Dukes ball just a few overs into the day, which sparked the ball change drama. The umpire was replaced when his attempt to put the ball through the hoop failed.
During the drinks break and other exchanges with the umpire, Gill was unhappy. After 48 deliveries, the ball lost its shape and needed to be changed again.
In the last session, England also asked for a new ball, but it was able to pass the hoop test and was still in play.
Bumrah remained diplomatic when asked about the many ball swaps. “I have no control over that; the ball shifts. Given how hard I work and how many overs I play, I don’t want to lose out on money. I therefore don’t want to make any contentious remarks and have my match costs taken away.
However, we were using the provided ball to bowl. That’s the way it is. We are powerless to alter it. We are powerless to stop it. It goes your way sometimes. You receive a terrible ball sometimes. It’s that way,” he stated.
Despite the controversy surrounding the ball change and less-than-ideal conditions, Bumrah put on a strong show, taking 5/74. He gave India an advantage on Day 2 by dismissing Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Harry Brook, among others.
Nitish Kumar Reddy had emphasized Bumrah’s impact on the team following the play of the first day, saying that they adhere to his direction.
“Sir, first, that answer is a lie. He’s not asked me anything. But the other thing is that these youngsters are very confident. And they don’t need a lot of guidance or information. Whenever and whatever capacity they need me, I’m right there to help them out, and I share my experiences and what I learned in the previous tours over here,” Bumrah said, jokingly, in response.
Jasprit Bumrah went into further detail about how he coaches younger athletes. “So that’s how simple as I am trying to keep them. I’m not trying to jump into every conversation, give them too much information, or try to tell them to do things like I do because that’s not how it will work. Because my technique is different. My way of bowling is different, and my way of handling things will be different. And so it will be different for them. But if anything they require or any assistance they require, I try to help to the best of my capacity.”
