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When asked about how English batters could tackle the might of the Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, the head coach of England’s Test team, Brendon McCullum said, “Dunno (I don’t know).” The 42-year-old stated that Jasprit Bumrah is a “fantastic bowler in all forms of the game,” with unique release points and the ability to generate swing in the air.
After India levelled the five-match Test series at 1-1 with a 106-run victory against England in Visakhapatnam, Brendon McCullum was happy to acknowledge the impact Jasprit Bumrah created in the second Test with his nine wickets. He spoke at length about how England has faced very good bowlers during his tenure at the helm in the last 18 months while finding ways to counter them.
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In his chat with ESPNcricinfo, Brendon McCullum described how England doesn’t do theories, and allows the players to have conviction in their methods to tackle situations. He was quoted as saying, as per Times of India, “We do not really do theories. It is about making sure the guys are totally clear and present, confident and have conviction in their method. They are a lot better than I ever was and they will work out how best to go about it.”
“There are contrasting ways of going about it, and I have always said it is important to bounce off whoever you are batting with and the contrasting skills you possess. We will see where we get to. For now, we have to tip our cap to Jasprit and say that spell (in the first innings of the second Test) was as good as anything we have seen so far on this trip,” he added.
Brendon McCullum also detailed how conditions dictate a player’s performance in different ways before stating how Jasprit Bumrah becomes a bigger threat in swinging conditions. He remarked, “It is all condition-dependent. When the ball is swinging like that he becomes even more of a threat. He is a fantastic bowler in all forms of the game. He is unique with his release points and with how much swing he can generate in the air.”
“No doubt he is very good, but we have come up against very good bowlers all through the last 18 months or so and found ways to counter them and that is what we have got to do in this one,” concluded the English head coach in Test cricket.
