The Indian speedster played three Tests out of five.
Amid the white-ball euphoria, if a five-match Test series still brings fond memories across the faces of fans, it must have been special. And such was the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, which concluded in early August. Each of the five Tests went to the last day, which speaks volumes about the skills on display by both England and India. Though the series was drawn after India’s magnificent victory at The Oval in the fifth Test, the rivalry throughout the series kept the spark alive. It was in this series that Joe Root went past some of the legends in the number of Test runs and stands behind only Sachin Tendulkar.
Before the tour, India speedster Jasprit Bumrah had announced that he was only going to play only three Tests. This decision was taken with his workload in mind, a topic which invoked multiple narratives from cricket pundits. Bumrah is an all-format player and has been instrumental to India’s chances in each format. However, a back injury pegged him recently.
In a recent podcast, England batter Joe Root spoke about the challenges of facing Bumrah. Out of the three matches Bumrah played, the English managed to win two. Root revealed that the way the English batters approached Bumrah was impressive to be a part of. He regarded the pacer as one of the best bowlers in the world, and also went on to state the technicalities which he brings to the table.
A batter facing the Indian speedster for the first time might find his action really odd. The run-up, the way he loads the ball, and the release are all unique from the orthodox, textbook skills of fast bowling. And hence, the 31-year-old is a difficult bowler to contain. However, England had their plans in place. Though Bumrah was successful in creating some impact in the three matches he played, the English countered him to an extent.
Joe Root spoke about being clear in the mind as a batter. The strategy that England used was pretty indicative of the fact that any battle needs to be won in the mind first. Shubman Gill & Co. structured their entire attack around Bumrah. But Root mentioned the importance of not making him too big in one’s mind. In other words, England didn’t lose the battle before they actually played it.
“He’s world-class, he’s the best Test bowler in the world. But in your mind, you can make him feel unfaceable and that’s when you are walking out there with no chance. It’s about how many times you can get yourself in the right frame of mind”, said Root in a podcast with Barmy Army.
Root also spoke about the release point of Bumrah, which is far ahead compared to other bowlers. For a bowler with an orthodox action, the release takes place somewhere in line with the popping crease. But for the Indian player, the point of release is almost seven centimetres ahead of the popping crease. This is why he tends to rush the batters. As a result, they are taken by surprise. An in-form Bumrah is one of the most difficult things to face for a batter. Add to that a pitch which assists pace and bounce, and the job is more steep.
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Most of the challenges in batting aren’t really difficult when your name is Joe Root. The 34-year-old has made multiple records to his name in the recent past, and now sets his sights on another. In home series, Root went past Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting in the number of runs scored in Test cricket. The English legend now has 13,543 runs in his tally.
However, one feather that is missing from Root’s cap would be a hundred on Australian soil. There have been multiple speculations about his success in Australia. He has fallen to the incoming delivery from Josh Hazlewood a few times and will have to be careful of his front foot when they meet for The Ashes 2025.
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