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England captain Ben Stokes is adamant that there isn’t
a team plan specifically for taking on Jasprit Bumrah. In the first two Test
matches, the Indian pacer has taken 15 wickets while putting the opposition to
the test with his tactics on more forgiving conditions for quick bowlers. The
thing that has hurt England most is how hard it has been on Joe Root, who is
England’s finest player under these circumstances and currently leads the runs
scored in Test cricket versus India, especially against Bumrah and his reverse
swing. Stokes has stressed that his batsmen must find ways to score runs
against the pacer, just as they have done thus far in the series against the
Indian spinners, but he has also challenged them to come up with their own
strategies in order to succeed against the top Test bowler.
“No not really,” Stokes said when asked if
there’s any plans in place for India’s strike bowler. “Jasprit Bumrah is
an unbelievable bowler. He’s proven that for a very long time and has performed
really well in the two games. I think everyone has got their own way of trying
to deal with Bumrah but we do have to score runs off him as well and that’s
what we’ll try to do. But when that doesn’t work you just have to give credit
to the bowler and Jasprit’s been outstanding the first two games.”
One of Stokes’s challenges in what would 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 said.
“I’m proud to say that I’ve been able to play a part in 100 Tests, because
it’s quite a lot – it’s a lot of warm-ups. It’s one more game and hopefully
there’s a lot more to come.
“There have been some great times in an England
shirt and some not so great times. That is what’s great about professional
sport. I’ve been able to make sure every day is a learning day, whether it be
good or bad. Later down the line, when I’m a bit older and maybe not playing,
is when I’ll have more of a chance to reflect on everything I’ve done on the
field.”