Former England captain Nasser Hussain heaped praise on Jasprit Bumrah, calling him an “absolute genius” and comparing his ability to confuse batters to that of the late spin wizard Shane Warne. Hussain admired Bumrah’s unmatched skill set, stating that the two greatest spectacles in cricket are watching a wrist-spinner like Warne and a fast bowler like Bumrah leaving batters clueless at the crease.
In a recent Test match at Headingley, Bumrah once again reminded the world of his brilliance. Returning to the format after a long injury layoff due to a stress reaction in his surgically repaired back, there were concerns about his workload and fitness. But he quickly dismissed all doubts, leading India’s bowling attack with precision and menace.
"Hopefully he stays injury free and we talk about him for years to come,” Hussain said on Sky Sports. “He is absolute genius. That is the only word for him… You wouldn’t want young boys or girls to try and copy that run-up or action, but it works for him. He’s perfected the art.”
Hussain also predicted that even if Bumrah doesn't feature in all five Tests of the series, he’ll still claim a “shed load of wickets” in the games he does play, becoming a constant threat for England.
At Leeds, Bumrah proved just that. He was the standout bowler on Day 2, taking all three of England’s wickets and keeping India in control despite minimal support from the rest of the bowling unit. On Day 3, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj stepped up with three and two wickets respectively, but were erratic and leaked runs. Bumrah returned late in the innings and delivered a game-changing final spell — clean bowling Chris Woakes and then dismissing Josh Tongue to complete his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
With those wickets, Bumrah achieved a significant milestone: he overtook Wasim Akram to become the highest wicket-taker among Asian bowlers in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia), with 150 wickets — four more than the legendary Pakistani fast bowler.
He also joined Kapil Dev for the most five-wicket hauls by an Indian bowler away from home, both having 12. The next names on the list are Anil Kumble (10), Ishant Sharma (9), and R Ashwin (8).
Despite India’s imposing first-innings total of 471, England responded with a gritty 465 — anchored by Ollie Pope’s 106 and Harry Brook’s explosive 99. Brook was dropped multiple times and made India pay before falling just one run short of a century, attempting a flourish to reach the landmark. It was once again Bumrah who broke through when it mattered most.
With every spell, Bumrah continues to cement his legacy — not only as India’s pace spearhead but as one of the finest fast bowlers in the world today.
