All-round Bumrah stars as Broad concedes costliest over in Tests

BIRMINGHAM: India stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah starred with both bat and ball as England’s Stuart Broad conceded the most expensive over in Test history, giving up 35 runs here at Edgbaston on Saturday.

India were all out for a breathtaking 416 in their first innings of the Covid-delayed fifth Test, with the tourists 2-1 up in a five-match series.

Bumrah, who hit Broad for 29 runs in an over that also featured five wides and a no-ball he struck for six, then led from the front in his primary role of strike bowler.

In between several rain breaks, he took all three England wickets to fall with the hosts 60-3, a deficit of 356, at tea on the second day.

Broad had become just the sixth bowler to take 550 Test wickets when he lost his composure by repeatedly bowling too short at Bumrah, deputising as skipper for the Covid-hit Rohit Sharma.

It was a forlorn effort to intimidate tailender Bumrah, who had responded to a similar England bouncer barrage by smashing an unbeaten 34 during India’s 151-run win in the second Test at Lord’s last year.

Bumrah batting at No 10 and facing the new ball, dismantled Broad’s figures during eight remarkable deliveries. The six legitimate balls were thrashed for 23 runs, including four fours and a six.

Broad, 36, also sent down a wide that went all the way over the head of wicket-keeper Sam Billings for four and a no-ball Bumrah top-edged for six.

The previous record of 28 runs in a Test over had been achieved on three occasions in the format’s 145-year history, with Broad’s team-mates James Anderson and Joe Root two of the bowlers on the receiving end.

Broad did not get a chance to make amends with the ball, although he did end the innings by catching last man Mohammad Siraj.

India, 338-7 overnight, smashed 78 runs in 11.5 overs.

England captain Ben Stokes set the tone for what followed with a ragged opening spell as Ravindra Jadeja, resuming on 83 not out, completed the third century of his 60-Test career and first overseas.

Jadeja had been the junior partner in a stand of 222 with Rishabh Pant, who hit a rapid 146, that rescued India from the depths of 98-5 after they had been sent into bat.

Matthew Potts could have had Jadeja out for 92 but a thick edge off the shoulder of the bat split slips Zak Crawley and Root before heading to the boundary.

But one ball after his reprieve, he magnificently cut Potts for four to complete a 183-ball century including 13 boundaries.

Broad then achieved his landmark wicket when Jack Leach caught Mohammed Shami.

Anderson bowled Jadeja for 104 with the new ball and then ended the innings when Siraj holed out to finish with 5-60 in 21.5 overs.

Bumrah followed up his 31 not out by bowling opener Alex Lees between bat and pad for six.

Crawley’s poor run of form continued as he fell for nine after nicking Bumrah to third slip.

Bumrah later lured Ollie Pope (10) into an expansive drip outside off stump, with second slip Shreyas Iyer grabbing the rebound after the ball hit his chest.

When the heaviest of the day’s three downpours hit Edgbaston, Bumrah had taken 3-30 in seven overs.

Former England captain Root was 19 not out and Jonny Bairstow, fresh from hundreds in consecutive Tests against New Zealand, unbeaten on six.

On Friday, Pant struck a superb counter-attacking century as India recovered from a top-order collapse.

Pant made a brilliant 146 off just 111 balls while hitting 19 fours and four sixes. He was especially severe on Jack Leach, swinging himself off his feet while slogging a four and later driving the left-arm spinner one-handed for six.

Leach, fresh from a 10-wicket haul and the player award in the third Test against New Zealand, conceded an expensive 71 runs in nine wicketless overs.

Part-time off-spinner Root succeeded where the frontline bowlers had failed when Pant edged a drive to Zak Crawley at slip.

It was the end of a double century partnership that lasted a mere 39 overs, with Pant’s hundred his fifth in 31 Tests and third against England.

This series decider should have been played in Manchester last September only to be postponed just hours before the start because of coronavirus concerns within the India camp.

Scoreboard

INDIA (1st Innings, overnight 338-7):

S. Gill c Crawley b Anderson 17

C. Pujara c Crawley b Anderson 13

H. Vihari lbw b Potts 20

V. Kohli b Potts 11

R. Pant c Crawley b Root 146

S. Iyer c Billings b Anderson 15

R. Jadeja b Anderson 104

S. Thakur c Billings b Stokes 1

M. Shami c Leach b Broad 16

J. Bumrah not out 31