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If there is going to be one prominent or major battle out there that will not only excite the test cricket fans but actually keep them constantly on the tenterhooks, then it's this big colossal clash, a tug of war between bat and ball.
In other words, the major and irrepressible battle between Jasprit Bumrah of India and Joe Root of England. One has been a captain of his team in the format and continues to function like the main man responsible for waging assaults with the wood in hand. And on the other hand, is this tireless and aggressive bastion of excellence in cricket who will wage an assault with the red cherry in his hand.
Two distinctly talented, distinguished cricketers who are both great ambassadors of the game- just who will hold the upper hand in the end between Bumrah and Root?
And while none of us actually have an answer at this point in time as such a phenomenon rests in the lap of the future, what certainly is more than a modicum of truth is that the numbers tend to tell their own tale.
Joe Root vs Jasprit Bumrah in Tests
So far, Joe Root and Jasprit Bumrah have locked horns in international test match cricket from the onset of the 2018 Cricket season, which is the first time that the two mighty forces collided in red ball cricket.
And then after the 2018 series, it was in the contests seen in 2021, 2022 and 2024 that Bumrah and Root came to clash once again.
So it goes to clearly suggest that two exceptional cricketers have been constantly engaged in a battle-mode with one another. Now having said that, just how good has India's critical force with the red ball been so far against England's prime hunter with the bat, a force of nature?
Having bowled an exact total of 559 deliveries to Joe Root, which is nearly 94 overs, Bumrah has bowled quite a lot, it could be said, to England's great batter.
Having dismissed him on 9 occasions, thus far, Bumrah, it could be argued, has fared reasonably well versus the finest in the English batting stable.
On the other hand, Joe Root has scored 286 runs against Jasprit Bumrah, who undoubtedly, will be his captain's go-to choice to remove the great Englishman from the wicket. Don't you agree?
Over the course of the several Tests the two have played against each other, one can't help but reflect on the famed 2021 Test match where Joe Root scored his most recent Test century against India.
In the famous Headingley, Leeds test, which will in the next few days, once again see the two clashing, saw Root come up trumphs with a fine 121. But in the end, that glorious century was brought to a halt by none other than Jasprit Bumrah himself.
While Root will unquestionably mix caution with focused aggro against Bumrah, someone against whom he will guard his wicket consciously, the right arm pacer will see to it that the tall Yorkshireman doesn't have the last say in the game- right?
Bumrah will look back at that 2021 Test series as being his most potent success against Root, one where he got him out four times.
