ENG vs IND: Jonny Bairstow Wasn't Facing Bowling Of This Standard - Graeme Swann

Indian cricket team had the better of England in a domineering manner on the second day of the rescheduled fifth Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Saturday.

The last three wickets of India added 78 runs in an energetic morning on Day 2. First, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja smashed three fours to notch up his third Test hundred, first against England, followed by the trademark sword-swinging celebration.

Later it was the Bumrah show that baffled not only the England players and their supporters but also the Indian fans back at home. It was very unexpected from the stand-in skipper to carnage Stuart Broad for 29 runs in an over to break the world record for most runs in an over in Test cricket.

Broad made things worse by conceding a no-ball and five wides to end up bowling a 35-run over, the most expensive in the history of Test cricket.

Bumrah carted four boundaries and a couple of sixes in the destructive over to break the joint-highest record of Brian Lara and George Bailey to score most runs in an over in red-ball cricket. Both Lara (vs Robin Peterson in 2003) and Bailey (vs James Anderson in 2013) scored 28 runs in an over.

The Jasprit Bumrah show that kept India on top of the game on Day 2

Bumrah remained unbeaten on 31 to power India’s first-innings total to 416 and later toppled England’s top-order with the ball. Bumrah got wickets of Alex Lees, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope to finish the day with 3/35.

Jonny Bairstow wasn’t facing bowling of this standard: Graeme Swann

Mohammed Siraj forced England star batter Joe Root to poke behind the keeper off an extra bouncing delivery and Mohammed Shami ended the stay of England’s nightwatchman Jack Leach for just five balls as England wobbled at 84 for five at the end of the day’s play.

In the meanwhile, Jonny Bairstow, who displayed fireworks with the bat against New Zealand in the three Tests, faced 47 balls and scored 12 runs with just one boundary, pulling Siraj behind the square leg for a four. Bairstow was bogged down by an Indian pace attack comprising Bumrah, Shami and Siraj.

“Jonny Bairstow looks a shadow of the player who was smashing it against New Zealand last week. He wasn’t facing bowling of this standard,” Swann said on-air while commentary duties for Sony Sports Network, the official broadcaster for the England-India Test match in India and the subcontinent. 

Bairstow is batting alongside skipper Ben Stokes and the duo will have to put a lot of hard yards if England stands any chance of making a vociferous comeback in the game.

Also Read: ENG vs IND: Have No Doubts About My Ability With The Bat – Jonny Bairstow