Jasprit Bumrah not ruing the lost chances in the field during the India vs England Test

The first look at the Headingley pitch for the opening fixture suggested a laborious road ahead for the bowlers in the contest. The first India vs England Test opened up to sunshine and dry conditions in Leeds and a seemingly flat pitch. While the Indian batters banked on the surface, getting to bat early, the pitch grew further ineffective as the hours passed. As a result, by the time India clinched the cherry, it all depended on the bowlers to create the chances for a breakthrough, with the conditions not cordial at all. Meanwhile, as anticipated, Jasprit Bumrah emerged as the best bet of the visitors at Headingley. 

Jasprit Bumrah scripts a historic spell in the opening India vs England Test at Headingley

Jasprit Bumrah entered into the record books with his exploits across Day 2 and Day 3 of the India vs England Test at Headingley. The five-wicket haul by Bumrah paints the picture of clear domination. However, a closer look at India's overall performance in the field highlights the tenacity shown by the senior-most pacer in the lot at Headingley. Handling the Duke, it was not just the dead surface of Leeds that Bumrah had to fight. With Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna losing grip on their lengths, Bumrah saw the momentum set by him unravel at the other end.

Captain Shubman Gill, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, bolstered the opening innings with respective tons, putting up 471 on the board before England came out to bat on Day 2. Jasprit Bumrah, meanwhile, provided an early breakthrough to his team, dismissing Zak Crawley in the opening over of the innings. However, Siraj, bowling from the other end, could not keep the pressure up, letting the runs loose and allowing a chance for Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope to settle in. India's dependency on Bumrah solely came out in the clear when Prasidh Krishna also proved ineffective on Day 2 at Headingley.

Despite the lack of support from the other end, Bumrah kept at his charge. However, the pacer had to deal with more woes, with the Indian fielders dropping sitters. Ben Duckett, who went on to score a half-century, survived twice, dropped by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja. Later in the innings, Jaiswal also dropped Pope at 60 before the English batsman piled up his century. All three drops came off Bumrah's bowling. Moreover, Bumrah created another chance as Brook was held by Siraj in the final over of the day. However, the pacer had overstepped, and Brook survived yet another scare.

On Day 3 of the India vs England Test, Jaiswal proved the culprit yet again, dropping Harry Brook at the gully. That was the fourth time for Bumrah to witness his efforts being washed away by the fielders. Yet, despite losing out on five chances at a wicket, Bumrah completed a five-wicket haul at Leeds. The pacer claimed Crawley, Duckett, and Joe Root on Day 2. It was Root's 10th time getting out to Bumrah in his Test career. The ace seamer returned on Day 3 to dismiss Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue to complete his fifer.

Disappointed but not frustrated: Bumrah refuses to take aim at the fielders for the dropped chances

With his unmatched performance at Headingley, Bumrah became the highest wicket-taking Asian in SENA countries, with 150 Test scalps to his name. Moreover, the 31-year-old equalled the legendary Kapil Dev as the Indian with the most five-wicket hauls to his credit in away fixtures. By the end of England's batting innings, the visitors managed to keep a slim 7-run lead in the match. Following the end of Day 3, prompted by rain in Leeds, Bumrah addressed the media.

The pacer was asked about the lost chances in the field. Despite seeing five of his potential scalps being put down, Bumrah didn't lose his cool. The pacer rarely showed his frustration, let alone confront Jaiswal, who dropped three. On being asked about maintaining his calm, Bumrah talked about putting undue pressure on his players. The seamer noted that no one is dropping the catches purposefully, so being angry about it will only intimidate the fielders more. 

“I am disappointed for a second when catches are dropped. It’s a part and parcel of the game, and the guys are new and working so hard. I don’t want to create a scene and put more pressure on them. Nobody is doing it intentionally, so they will learn from this experience," Bumrah said. “Sometimes the cold makes it difficult to catch. I try not to let it affect me and move forwards quickly," he added.