Bumrah's Reverse Swing Mastery Turns the Tide for India in Second Test

Similar to Day I, this Saturday saw 10,000 people or slightly more show up at the stadium. But when Jasprit Bumrah's quick, precise inswinging yorker destroyed Ollie Pope's stumps, the roar became so intense that it seemed like a packed house yelling "Bumraaah, Bumraaah."

That magnificent ball had such an effect that India entered Day III with a big lead of 171 runs and all 10 wickets remaining.

In reference to his game-changing second spell, in which he also removed Joe Root while conceding just three runs in those four overs, Bumrah said at the news conference later, "To get Root and Pope (out) at that time was very important for us because we understood the wicket did not do a lot and was a little on the slower side."

Reverse swing was undoubtedly important, but Bumrah wasn't planning to pull off a miracle when he was hatching his scheme to remove the well-performing Pope. The ball was really firm at the moment. In other words, the swing was in reverse.

You don't need to bowl miraculous deliveries on every ball when there is reverse swing. I had just finished bowling a few deliveries that were heading away when I got an idea. How should I bowl? Should I go for a yorker or should I bowl a long delivery shaping in?

Up until then, I had never bowled a yorker. "Well, might as well take a chance with that," I reasoned. It also swung quite a bit. Additionally, the execution was excellent," Bumrah said.

Bumrah emphasized that his mastery of reverse swing was a result of playing first-class cricket. "You have to learn how to bowl reverse swing if you want to take wickets in Indian first-class cricket."

We play a lot of cricket on slow wickets, so I think I learned to bowl that way before I learned the traditional swing. You must choose a route and the locations you must visit.

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