I can’t be a one-trick pony: Jasprit Bumrah

India is a country where spinners dictate terms, but that theory doesn’t apply to Jasprit Bumrah. No matter what the conditions are, the ace paceman finds a way to make an impact in the game. He made an IMPACT in the second Test against England and helped India level the series 1-1.

The right-arm seamer finished with match figures of 9/91, his second-best in Test cricket. Bumrah claimed six wickets in the first innings and followed it up with three more in the second. Whenever India needed a wicket, Rohit Sharma gave the ball to Bumrah and the 30-year-old did the job for his team.

Bumrah now has insane number at home. In six home Tests, the pacer has taken 36 wickets at an average of 13.06 and a strike rate of 29.5.

"I don't look at numbers because when I was a youngster I used to look at numbers," said Bumrah after India won the second Test by 106 runs on Monday (February 5).

"Yes, it made me excited, but you know, if you think about numbers, there's a lot of pressure anyway playing for India. And if you take that added baggage, it doesn't really help. So I'm very happy that we won and when you contribute towards that success it feels even better."

Talking more about his bowling, he said: "I look at the situation, at the wicket and think what are my options. I look to solve the problem, every wicket is different, and I have to use what I have in my armoury. I can’t be a one-trick pony.”

Bumrah might not accept it, but he is the leader of India’s bowling attack, making life easier for Rohit and other bowlers."Not the leader but I feel that I have played a little more cricket. We are going through a transition. There are a lot of new bowlers coming in. 

"So it's my responsibility to help them and guide them in whatever way I can. So yeah, it's always good that when we have certain conversations, what do we have to do in certain scenarios, it feels great."

Bumrah took nine wickets in the game but it was the wicket of Ollie Pope in the first innings that would be featuring in every single highlight of the series. The paceman brought out the inswinging yorker and destroyed Pope’s middle and leg stumps.

"As a youngster that (the yorker) is probably the first delivery I had learned because I had come from tennis ball cricket and I had seen the legends of the game, Waqar (Younis), Wasim (Akram) and even Zaheer Khan, I had seen them on the television, how do they bowl yorkers.

"As a kid, I used to feel that is the only way to take wickets. So that is the first delivery I learned. Yes, I kept it with me and I kept on using it to my advantage and now even in Test cricket when you get wickets off it, it's great."

Bumrah also heaped heavy praise on James Anderson, who claimed five wickets in the game and made his presence felt at the age of 41. 

“(Rivalry with Anderson) Not really, I always enjoy watching fast bowling, whether it's the other team or not. Before a cricketer, I'm a fast bowling fan. If someone is doing well, kudos to them."