Bumrah was outstanding during the English innings, taking the wicket of Joe Root close to stumps, following his initial dismissal of Zak Crawley in the first over. Despite this, England managed to reach 209, buoyed by an impressive century from Ollie Pope.
“He (Bumrah) is the best bowler globally. He’s incredibly tough to face, effective in any situation, and when he’s charging in with the lights on and the ball swinging in both directions, it’s challenging,” Duckett remarked post-play on Day 2 Saturday.
“His capability to deliver several types of deliveries without any indication—you can’t tell if it’s a bouncer, slow ball, yorker, away-swinger, or inswinger until it’s released. You really have to focus on the ball closely; it’s quite difficult to read Jasprit.”
Pope withstood Bumrah’s attack to spearhead England’s response, registering his ninth Test century under challenging circumstances, and Duckett noted that the one-drop batter “stayed true to his game plan”.
“He (Pope) was remarkably composed when he came out. He faced extremely tough conditions, with Jasprit Bumrah charging in under the lights. I can’t say what’s going on in his mind, but he remained true to his style of play,” said Duckett, who scored 62 before falling to Bumrah as his second victim.
“There’s nothing quite like scoring a hundred against that bowling attack right from the first over. His celebration showed how much it meant to him, and it resonated within the dressing room too. I had goosebumps for him.”
Despite some doubts surrounding Pope’s position in the team after his 171 in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe last month, this century against a formidable Bumrah is likely to quiet the critics for some time.
“We’re quite adept at keeping things internal in the dressing room, but naturally, we hear the outside noise. While there’s chatter externally, it doesn’t penetrate our space. We’re not deliberating over who will play,” stated Duckett.
“It was evident coming into this Test match that if someone scores 171 a few weeks prior, he’s going to be in the lineup. Pope’s response to that pressure has been excellent, highlighting why he’s England’s No 3 and performing at such a level.”
(With PTI inputs)
