Jasprit Bumrah leaks Jofra Archer's private message, exposes reality of Dukes balls

Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah has not been among the players who looked to be complaining about the nature of the ball or its constant change in texture. He would rather look to focus on what he does the best, that is, deceive the English batter.

India had an even day on the first day of the Lord's test with 4 wickets, while the English side too showed resistance as Joe Root finished on 99*, awaiting his 8th hundred at Lord's. He took the field alongside his skipper on Day 2 and scored a crucial hundred, his 37th in a glorious red-ball career.

Though Root would have loved to take his innings deeper, giving England a further lead, just then, Jasprit Bumrah stepped in, and he had some other plans in his head. Bumrah first got rid of skipper Ben Stokes and followed it with Joe Root's wicket in the first ball of the very next over.

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Jasprit Bumrah also opens up on the Dukes ball controversy

Jasprit Bumrah decided to revisit his early Test career and his younger days when he aspired to be an international cricketer someday. He mentioned that ever since a player starts playing Test cricket, they want to be a part of the atmosphere at Lord's.

Bumrah praises his own rhythm, as he says he has been working hard for it, and picking up wickets as well as performing well for his team, which hands him a large amount of good headspace.

Jasprit Bumrah's performance was not much affected by the constant softening of the ball, as the pacer once again picked up another five-wicket haul. With this, he has been featured on the Lord's honours board.

Speaking of the new Dukes balls, Bumrah admitted that the conditions of the balls are a bit different this time around.

"The ball is a little different from the last series I played here, obviously, I understand dry conditions and hot summer as well. The ball used to stay harder for long, that doesn't happen anymore, and that is something I cannot change and don't have the power to," said Bumrah as quoted by Cricbuzz.

Bumrah hails Archer for red-ball return

Jasprit Bumrah also showed his excitement and mentioned about the boosted morale and confidence every time he dismisses the great English player Joe Root. Root was left baffled by Bumrah's outside off-stump delivery that nicked back in and went on to hit the middle stump after taking the inside edge of Root's bat.

Jasprit Bumrah clean bowled out Jofra Archer when the Englishman returned in white after a gap of 4 years. However, Archer went on to pick a wicket on his return Test in the very first over of play.

Jasprit Bumrah revealed his friendship with the English pacer and recalled texts from him during his injury phase. The two pacers have been part of the Mumbai Indians camp at times and hence do share a close bond.

"During the injury phase, he (Archer) messaged me, and we had a lot of converstaions, I am really happy that he has gotten back to Test cricket, a format that he loves," said Bumrah, congratulating Archer on his England red-ball return.

India looks good with a 100-run partnership between Pant and Rahul on Day 3

India did not have the most convincing start to their batting innings at Lord's, with Yashasvi Jaiswal being the first man to be dismissed, just into the second over of the Indian innings.

However, a 50-run partnership between Karun Nair, who looked promising on 40, and KL Rahul at the other end was broken with the former's dismissal off Ben Stokes. The Indian innings looked out of momentum.

Even captain Shubman Gill was dismissed early this time around for just 16 runs; since then, it has been Rishabh Pant alongside KL Rahul who has maintained the flow of the Indian innings. Rahul scored another half-century and is slowly nearing another test hundred at Lord's.

Rahul features in the Lord's honours board for his hundred during the 2021 England tour, which led to India's victory. Pant looks like he is struggling with his fingers, but is nearing another fifty and is playing a good knock alongside Rahul.

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