ENG vs IND | Never felt that Bumrah wasn't in good form, claims Ashish Nehra 

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Former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra has claimed that he never felt that premier Indian quick Jasprit Bumrah was out of form any time and knew it was just a matter of time before he would put up his best show. He also predicted that the Indian quick would scalp more five-fers in the upcoming games.

Jasprit Bumrah might have made his debut in the 2017/18 tour of South Africa, but it didn't take long for him to establish himself as the team's lead bowler. After making a great start to his Test career, and nailing South Africa, England, Australia and West Indies away tours, he had a slight blip since the start of 2020. In the WTC finale against New Zealand, he went wicketless and could only bowl well in patches, which hurt India's performance greatly. His form was a concern for India heading into the series against England.

But, he made a terrific return to form and wreaked havoc in the English dressing room in the first Test at Trent Bridge, scalping nine wickets in the game. Former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra has asserted that he never felt that Bumrah was out of form and always knew he would get back to his best soon. 

“There was some criticism of Jasprit Bumrah, that he is not looking in good form. But I never felt like that. I was never worried and I never felt that we should discuss that his bowling is not going good. It was a matter of time. Once you get two-three wickets, you will see the same Jasprit Bumrah. He showed once again what he is known for,” said Nehra while speaking on Sony Sports Network, reported HT. 

He also asserted that it's not easy for pace bowlers to find their rhythm in times of pandemic, with bubbles in place. 

“If you see the last one to one-and-a-half years, there have been a lot of problems in the world. It has been start-stop for the players, the bubble is not easy for any player, whether it is a batsman or a bowler, and fast bowling is a thing where you need a little more time to get your rhythm,” he added.

Nehra, who played alongside Bumrah in the last phase of his international career, predicted that the 27-year-old would be taking more five-fers in the upcoming games. 

“The sort of bowler Jasprit Bumrah is, you will see more five-wicket hauls from him in this series. Forget the numbers, it can be four, six or three. Once again, his bowling was praiseworthy and the best thing about him is that he knows very well when to put in the extra effort in Test cricket,” Nehra said.

The Indian quick had played a key role in India's comeback on the fourth day's play when he got rid of a set Joe Root and helped the tourists bundle out England quickly, at a time when their lower-order threatened to take the game away from India. As a result, India were set a target of 209 runs. Nehra signed off by saying that he's a bowler that the captain believes in as and when a breakthrough is needed.  

“If you see the second innings, he took one wicket at the start but after that when there was a partnership between Sibley and Joe Root, who broke it - Jasprit Bumrah. As a captain, you want a bowler who gets a breakthrough whenever the team requires,” he added.

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