Former Indian bowling legend and captain Anil Kumble shared his perspective. Anil Kumble said, “I think both teams will be largely happy with the outcome of this session. India might feel they let slip an opportunity to pick up another wicket, especially after the two early dismissals. Interestingly, the breakthroughs didn’t come from Bumrah, Akashdeep, or Siraj; it was Nitish Kumar Reddy who stepped up and took not one, but two crucial wickets. Moving forward, slip fielding will be crucial. There hasn’t been consistency in bounce and pace; the ball isn’t always reaching the keeper easily. So India will have to be alert in the cordon.”
Regarding Nitish Kumar Reddy’s surprising impact with the new ball, Kumble commented, “It was a result of his height and his high-arm action; that made the difference. On this surface, a bowler like Jofra Archer can be very dangerous, and Nitish showed a glimpse of that. The slope here helps to take the ball away from the left-handed batsman, and unfortunately, Ben Duckett fell prey to it twice. Speaking of Crawley’s dismissal, that was a beautiful delivery. His length and line were spot on, and the ball nipped away from the pitch enough to get an edge. This is a pitch where you can’t just bowl teams out; you need patience. If India can dismiss England for under 300, they will consider it a job well done.”
Considering Jasprit Bumrah’s first spell of the day, Kumble stated, “He was trying to contend with the slope and perhaps trying a bit too hard to get that extra pace. He was getting the shape, especially against the left-handers, but the line wasn’t quite there; it was too wide, giving the batsmen ample time to get out of the way or adjust. With Bumrah, there’s always pressure because he leads the attack. I’m confident that when he returns after lunch, he’ll be more comfortable, bowl a few fuller deliveries, and target the stumps more. He was unlucky this morning; England could easily have lost a couple of early wickets to both him and Akashdeep.”
On what India should focus on in the second session, Kumble advised: “Bumrah has already bowled eight overs in the first session, so managing his workload will be crucial. Line and length will be important, especially for a bowler like Ollie Pope. But the real threat is Root. You have to bowl at him every ball. Bumrah will try to bring the ball back in and then use the fourth-stump line to force Root into playing the wrong shot. India will have to use Bumrah in short bursts – three to four overs – perhaps starting the session with him, but ensuring the field is right. I’d still like to see a gully or short point. Catching positions will be crucial.”
