Spearheading the Indian pace attack in the ongoing three-match ODI series against England, Jasprit Bumrah delivered a spectacular performance during the second match at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Thursday. Tasked with bowling the opening over of England’s chase, the 32-year-old right-arm fast bowler made an immediate impact by dismissing Ben Duckett on the very first delivery of the innings. The English left-hander edged the ball straight to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, walking back for a golden duck.
Jasprit Bumrah scripts history
With this sensational opening delivery, Bumrah etched his name into the record books as the first Indian bowler ever to claim a wicket on the first ball of an ODI innings against England. The early breakthrough was a massive blow to the hosts in this must-win encounter, completely neutralizing Duckett, who had previously looked dangerous with a 45-ball 43 in Tuesday's series opener at Edgbaston.
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Before dismantling England's top order, the premier pacer had already provided a vital boost to the visitors with an unexpected cameo with the bat. Coming in at number 10, Bumrah played a blistering, unbeaten knock of 20 runs from just 13 deliveries, a cameo punctuated by three boundaries and a massive six.
His late-innings fireworks included a crucial 23-run partnership for the ninth wicket alongside Shreyas Iyer, who anchored the team with a solid 66. Bumrah completely took the attack to English speedster Saqib Mahmood in the 43rd over, dismantling him for three fours and a six to successfully push the Indian total past the competitive 230-run threshold.
England fold India for 233
Despite a vintage half-century from Virat Kohli, whose confident 65 runs evoked memories of his absolute prime, India was bowled out for a below-par 233 in 44 overs during the second ODI against England. The visitors' total was severely undermined by Rohit Sharma’s persistent struggles at the top of the order, setting a shaky foundation that the rest of the batting lineup found difficult to overcome.
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The innings completely derailed midway through the match due to an inexplicable collapse by the middle-order, which saw India lose four wickets for a mere 15 runs in a chaotic span of 26 deliveries. The primary destroyer was Jofra Archer, who breathed fire across all his spells to finish with stellar figures of 3/47 in his 10 overs. He received excellent support from Gus Atkinson, who chipped in with a crucial 3/50, and Saqib Mahmood, who also damaged the visitors' lineup with figures of 2/52.