'I felt he wasn't trying to get me out' - James Anderson on short ball barrage from Jasprit Bumrah at Lord's

Jasprit Bumrah’s 10-ball over to James Anderson was one of the many talking points of the Lord’s Test between England and India. Apart from a couple, almost every delivery was directed at his body in the over and this is what left Anderson and the whole England team miffed. The veteran pacer also had a lot to say to Bumrah after the end of day’s play.

The tempers flared for the same reason on the final day and it worked in India’s favour as the visitors registered a famous win to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. 10 days after facing the short-ball barrage, James Anderson has now opened up on how he felt while facing the fiery over from Bumrah. Anderson also claimed that he felt that the Indian pacer wasn’t trying to dismiss him.

The 39-year-old also admitted to be caught by surprise as his skipper Joe Root in the middle told him that Bumrah wasn’t bowling as quick. “I got caught off guard a little bit because all the batters coming in were saying how slow the pitch was. Banged in short; it was really slow. When I came out to bat, Joe said Bumrah was not bowling as quick as he normally does.

“And then, the first ball was 90 miles an hour and on the money, wasn’t it? And it felt like, I haven’t felt like this ever in my career. I felt he wasn’t trying to get me out,” James Anderson said while speaking to Tailenders Podcast.

He bowled only 2 balls at stumps, recalls Anderson

Reflecting more on the over, James Anderson recalled only a couple of deliveries from Jasprit Bumrah were at stumps while rest of the eight were directed at his body at pace. “I felt he wasn’t trying to get me out. He bowled an over, maybe 10, 11, 12 balls. He was bowling no-ball after no-ball, bowling short. I think he bowled two on the stumps which I managed to dig out. So for me, it was just about trying to survive that and get Joe back on strike,” he added.

With India leading the series 0-1 and Mark Wood also ruled out of the third Test, James Anderson will have to step up and lead a young and inexperience bowling unit in the third Test at Headingley.