Joe Root praises Jasprit Bumrah's post-lunch haul: 'His spell turned game on its head'

The Indian bowlers came up with a herculean effort on Day 5 of the Oval Test as they defeated England by 157 runs to claim a 2-1 lead in the England vs India five-match series.

England captain Joe Root credited the Indian bowlers for their efforts, which changed the match in India’s favour. Root was particularly in praise of seamer Jasprit Bumrah, adding that it was Bumrah’s spell that became the turning point of the game. “Bumrah is a world-class bowler and outstanding spell by him after the lunch, I think that spell changed the game on its head,” the captain said speaking at the post-match conference.

Joe Root further added that England were in a very good position to win the game, but the Indian bowlers managed to get the ball to reverse swing and from there on began England’s batting collapse. “Frustrating not to get something from the game today, we felt we had an opportunity to win, but credit to India, they got the ball to reverse and that was the turning point,” he said.

The skipper further said while England could have done better in the game, adding that it was necessary to realize that the Indian bowling was top-notch. “Could have made more of a first-innings lead, and you have to make chances count against world-class players. Got to find ways to get better but be realistic and realize that was world-class bowling," Joe Root added.

Virat Kohli praises Shardul Thakur's efforts

Virat Kohli, on the other hand, was a happy man and lauded his team's effort into helping them reach the shores of a spectacular victory. The skipper made a special mention of Shardul Thakur's performance. The player came in handy in the lower-order, scoring half-centuries in both the innings whilst picking up 3 wickets including the dangerous wicket of Joe Root and in form Rory Burns in the 2nd innings. 

"What Shardul has done in this game will be remembered for a long time. His fifty was the difference between a 150-160 run lead and a 100-run lead. His two fifties deflated the opposition and His counterattack in the second innings made a lot of difference. We thought they would restrict us to a reasonable total when I got out, but he changed it," Virat Kohli concluded. 

Image credits: AP