"He will be hurting as a bowler" - Indian legend's huge claim on Jasprit Bumrah ahead of IND vs SA 2025 2nd Test

Legendary Indian cricketer Anil Kumble has opined that Jasprit Bumrah would be hurting as a bowler heading into the second Test against South Africa. He reasoned that India lost the first Test despite Bumrah's best efforts, highlighting that the ace seamer was beating batters with pace on a slow pitch at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

India suffered a 30-run defeat in the first Test against South Africa. The final Test of the two-match series is scheduled to start in Guwahati on Saturday, November 22.

On the Star Sports show 'Game Plan,' Kumble highlighted that Bumrah brings unique attributes to the Indian bowling attack and that the seamer would be pained about the hosts' inability to win the first Test.

"On a slow pitch, Jasprit Bumrah was beating batters with pace. Yes, there is a bit of uneven bounce when it came to that (Aiden) Markram dismissal in the first innings, and then subsequently the (Corbin) Bosch dismissal in the second innings was genuine pace and the yorkers," the former India spinner said. "That's what he brings to this Indian team. He will be hurting as a bowler that India couldn't cross the line. What really amazes me is the consistency of executing all the variations that he has, and the control that he brings to his bowling. Day in and day out, the team looks up to him and he delivers, and that's the challenging part," he added.

Jasprit Bumrah registered figures of 5/27 in 14 overs in South Africa's first innings of the Kolkata Test. The right-arm seamer castled Corbin Bosch (25 off 37) to break his 44-run eighth-wicket partnership with Temba Bavuma (55* off 136) in the second innings, his only scalp in the 10 overs he bowled.

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"He believes only in things that he can control" - Saba Karim on Jasprit Bumrah ahead of IND vs SA 2025 2nd Test

Jasprit Bumrah has picked up 16 five-wicket hauls in just 51 Tests. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, former India wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim noted that Jasprit Bumrah only believes in controlling the controllables.

"He believes only in things that he can control and the wicket, for that matter, becomes irrelevant for him because he has those special skills which come into good effect whenever the team needs them. Not only in the first innings, but also in the second innings, to break a partnership, you look at Jasprit Bumrah," he said.

While observing that Bumrah was utilized quite well virtually throughout the first Test, the former India selector added that the unconventional seamer's current fitness and hunger for wickets hold the team in good stead.

"In all conditions, he is your go-to bowler, and I thought in the first Test, except for the final day, where he was brought in late, he was utilized quite well. In the first innings, that extended spell worked so well for him. It augurs so well for India that he is so fit as of now, and he is hungry to pick up more wickets," Saba observed.

Jasprit Bumrah has picked up 232 wickets at an average of 19.54 in 51 Tests. He has accounted for 44 dismissals at an average of 19.09 in nine Tests against South Africa.

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Edited by Kartik Iyer