Stokes exhorts batters to find their “own way” to take out Bumrah
England captain Ben Stokes maintains that there isn’t a specific team plan in place to counter Jasprit Bumrah. On generally forgiving surfaces for fast bowlers, the Indian pacer has taken 15 wickets in the first two Test matches, testing the opposition with his tricks. The biggest blow to England has been the way that Joe Root, who is the best player in these conditions and currently leads the runs scored in Test cricket against India, has been unable to cope with Bumrah in particular and his reverse swing.
Ahead of the third Test match in Rajkot, Stokes has stressed to his batsmen that they need to find ways to score runs against the pacer, just as they have done thus far in the series against the Indian spinners, but also that they should find their own strategies to succeed against the top Test bowler.
“No, not really,” Stokes responded when asked if plans were in place for the strike bowler from India. “Bumrah Jasprit is an amazing bowler. He’s been demonstrating that for a very long time, and he did a great job in both games. I believe that everyone approaches Bumrah differently, but we must also score runs off of him, so that’s what we’ll attempt to do. When that fails, though, you have to give the bowler credit, and Jasprit has been excellent in the first two games.
There is no team strategy for playing any bowler; each of us has our own methods for dealing with each one. However, we will continue to attempt to maintain our center of attention.”
One of Stokes’s challenges in what will be his 100th Test match will be to score against Bumrah. The 32-year-old will receive a lot of support from the Barmy Army in particular, as well as a number of presentations, but Stokes wants everything to happen as soon as possible so he can concentrate on what really matters—scoring runs against Bumrah and leading the series 2-1.
“I’m looking forward to getting the presentation done and dusted, then everything can be on the cricket,” Stokes stated. Being able to participate in 100 Tests is something I’m proud of because it’s a significant number of warm-ups. There is still one game left, and hopefully many more to come.
“I’ve worn an England shirt during some fantastic and some not so fantastic moments. That’s the wonderful thing about professional sports. Regardless of how well or poorly things go, I’ve managed to ensure that every day is a learning day. I’ll have more time in the future to think back on everything I’ve accomplished on the field when I’m a little older and possibly not playing.”
What Test match is his favorite? “I evaluate performances based on how the game turns out, though there have been a few. Among my favorites is Cape Town in 2019 (actually, it was 2020). I played well as an all-around player on day five, playing into the final hour of the match. We emerged victorious after I made several catches, scored runs, and claimed several wickets. Being a factor in our victory in the game is how I assess my own performance,” he retorted.
“No matter where we travel in the world, we have an incredible following. We are so grateful to them. That’s evident in how grateful we are to everyone who follows and cheers us on. even after all the difficult times. You can use that as a kind of reference point.” England and Rajkot are level after one game, and Stokes believes that this is a “fair reflection” of the cricket that both teams have played. In addition, he believes that if they perform to their full capacity, a 2-1 victory is imminent.
Some might argue that it’s too hot. The score of 1-1 fairly represents the quality of cricket played in the first two matches. This game and everything that comes after it are the main priorities. We’ll give ourselves a strong chance of winning if we play even close to our potential. The outcomes take care of themselves if we play quality cricket.”
