Jasprit Bumrah will be India’s biggest weapon heading into their five-match tour of England. Even if their spearhead pacer isn’t able to play all 5 matches, the games he does play will see him be a potentially gamechanging player — a fact that England’s batting unit will be all too aware of.
One batter who has historically struggled against Bumrah but will have the unenviable task of facing the new ball against him at number 3 will be Ollie Pope, who is confirmed to be their batter in that position in the first Test match at Headingley. Pope has been dismissed by Bumrah on 5 occasions in Test cricket, scoring just 186 runs — an average of less than 19.
Speaking to The Times about what technical changes he is looking at to combat Bumrah, Pope emphasised an earlier trigger to combat Bumrah’s awkward release point and rushing nature.
“Maybe getting my trigger in a bit earlier just to give myself a bit more time. He’s one of those bowlers that, with his action and where he releases it from, doesn’t necessarily clock the high speeds that some of the guys clock, but it certainly feels like it’s that bit quicker,” explained England’s vice-captain. “With the skills he’s got as well, it’s being aware of that.”
‘Best bowler in the world…’
Pope’s struggle has included some famous dismissals, such as the inch-perfect yorker that sent the batter and the stumps both sprawling. He hasn’t had the best track record, and Pope was cognisant of the all-round bowling threat Bumrah possesses from the number of encounters they have had.
“I think I’ve played him in probably three different series now, and you’re constantly trying to find ways to put him under some pressure. I mean, he can bowl 20 overs in a day — that’s a lot. So, the way we talk about cricket is, you want to absorb pressure when needed, and then, if necessary, try to put a guy under a little bit of pressure,” Pope had told TalkSport.
Although Bumrah is expected to rest at times during the series, he is expected to figure in the opening match in Leeds. For Pope, the key to facing up against Bumrah was about figuring out ways to score runs off him, and to avoid being worked over on strike.
“But that doesn’t mean trying to smash him to the boundary. It could just be a rotating strike. If he’s bowling a good spell, I’m thinking, ‘Right, how can I rotate and get to the other end?’ And my partner’s thinking the same, so he [Bumrah] doesn’t get six balls at you in a row and use all his skills. He’s a highly skilled bowler, one of the best in the world, if not the best,” concluded Pope.