Speaking on ‘Match Centre Live’ after the first session on Day 2 of the third Test, JioHotstar expert Sanjay Manjrekar reflected on Bumrah’s disciplined spell on an unhelpful surface: “This is what Bumrah is all about. It was a humbler Bumrah today — he accepted the conditions, knew there wasn’t much in the pitch, and just kept coming in and bowling. He shelved the ego and focused on perseverance — there were no magic deliveries, just consistent line and length. These wickets came through sheer hard work. India bowled really well to keep England under control, and on a pitch like this, that’s a good outcome. But we don’t yet know how this pitch will behave in the second innings. I’m curious to see how someone like Jofra Archer goes on it — that’ll give us a clearer picture of the surface.”Manjrekar commented on whether the ball change disrupted India’s rhythm:“Possibly. I was watching Shubman closely, and you could see it got to him. Emotions were running high. India had been on the field for a long time, had just got Joe Root out, and really wanted to press on. This was a genuinely frustrated young man, which is understandable. Whether India lost a bit of control in that phase — the ball change could have been a contributing factor.”JioStar expert Steve Harmison questioned India’s decision to change the ball when Bumrah was in rhythm:“From a fast bowler’s point of view, there’s no way I’d have handed the umpire the ball when it was doing what it was from the Nursery End. Bumrah had taken three wickets in no time — I would’ve waited until it stopped swinging before asking for a change. What surprised me was that Siraj didn’t even consult Bumrah — he just threw the ball straight to the umpire. And once you do that, it’s out of your hands. The replacement ball may not match — either in age or wear — and that’s a risk. They should’ve kept going with the old ball.”Catch Day 3 of the third Test of India’s tour of England, tomorrow at 3:30 PM, live on JioHotstar
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