If getting angry helps Jasprit Bumrah perform like this, then he should do it at times: Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan has a word of advice for the Indian fast-bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who has been in the news after his match-winning performance at Lord’s against England. The Gujarat pacer is known for being quite calm on the field and has hardly been seen having a go at a player. But at Lord’s, he showed a different side of himself. 

At the end of day three, following a bouncer barrage from Bumrah, England pacer James Anderson had a go at the pacer. There were some words exchanged and Anderson allegedly abused Bumrah for bowling too quick at him. This incident fired up the Indian bowler and the rest of the team. 

On day five, when Bumrah came to bat, India was struggling and needed some runs. He had already experienced wicketless first innings with the ball and a duck with the bat. England targeted him with bouncers but Bumrah was up to the task. He made 34 vital runs in an unbeaten 89-run partnership with Mohammed Shami. After saving the match with the bat, he helped India in their 151-run win over England, picking up three wickets in the second innings. 

Jasprit Bumrah channelized the anger in the right way: Zaheer Khan

Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan noted that Bumrah’s struggles in the first innings could have inspired how well he performed in the second innings. “If by getting angry, he can carry himself and perform like this, I believe he should at times needle the opposition. See, in the first innings, he had gone wicketless, and being the class bowler that he is, I’m sure it must have bothered him,” Zaheer said on Cricbuzz. 

The former Indian pacer further praised Bumrah’s efforts to shine for India. Bumrah picked up three crucial wickets in the innings. He dismissed Rory Burns in the first over and then Joe Root in the first over after tea. His last wicket was of Ollie Robinson, a dismissal which caused England to slip from 120/7 to 120 all-out. 

“After that, the whole Anderson episode that unfolded, the bouncers he bowled to him and then while batting, the manner in which the England pacer went after him… all those things motivated him, and he channelized that anger in the right way. England must be thinking ‘we should have let Bumrah bowl bouncers’ and not mess with him. The intensity with which he bowled was worth praising,” Zaheer added.