Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra said India’s think tank and selectors must play Jasprit Bumrah in the fourth Test match against England. India is trailing 1-2 in the five-match series after losing the third Test at Lord’s by 22 runs and the fourth game will be a must-win for the visitors.
Bumrah has picked 12 wickets in two Test matches of the series at an impressive average of 21 and there is no doubt that he is going to hold the key for the tourists.
The ace pacer picked seven wickets in the third Test, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings, but his efforts went in vain.
“Bumrah must play the next Test match. You are 2-1 down, and would want to go to the Oval at 2-2. Whatever happens at the Oval, so be it. To be fair, there is still time. It’s not like they are back-to-back Test matches. The next match is starting on the 23rd. So we have time,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“So he should play the next match for sure. Of course, there is a problem, and I don’t know why it is that we not winning with Bumrah, but are winning without him. This is a new story, not that we are winning too many, let’s be honest, but we are unable to win even with Bumrah. That is going to be a bit of a tough thing, but Bumrah should definitely play the next match,” he added.
On the other hand, Australia’s gun fast bowler Mitchell Starc picked 15 wickets in three Test matches against the West Indies. Chopra reckons Bumrah is ahead of Starc as an all-format bowler.
“Starc is phenomenal. He picked up wickets one after the other in the recent pink-ball Test, where the West Indies were bowled out for 27. That was embarrassing from the West Indies’ point of view. However, I feel, if we talk about an all-format bowler, Bumrah is slightly ahead,” he responded.
The renowned commentator believes Starc raises his level in knockout matches of major ICC events.
“What makes Mitchell Starc different is that when he reaches the knockout stages, he raises his game to a very, very different level. Mitchell Starc definitely brings more to that game there. However, overall, look at Bumrah, and you say, ‘Jassi, there is no one like you, you are even better than Starc.’ There is no better all-format bowler than him,” Chopra observed.
The fourth Test match between England and India will be played at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, from July 23 onwards.
