Kolkata: Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann rated the Jasprit Bumrah-led Indian bowling team as tremendous. He said the Indian bowlers have the ability to bowl out any side cheaply.
The cricketer-turned-commentator was in the West Indies in September last year. In the series the Indian pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami blew away the hosts. They shared 33 out of the possible 40 wickets among them en route to a 2-0 whitewash in the two-Test series.
“I thought it was incredible and I said at the time, this Indian team right now would bowl out any team in the world cheaply. The way they’re bowling right now, and I stand by that it’s incredible,” Swann said in TV programme.
West Indies lost both the Tests heavily but have now defeated England by four wickets in the Southampton Test. It was the resumption of international cricket for the first time post the COVID-19 outbreak.
Swann said England probably did not watch that series and blunted their pace attack by dropping Stuart Broad. He said Broad is capable of doing the ‘donkey’s work’ by complimenting James Anderson.
“England were playing the Ashes, they wouldn’t have watched it. We were there and that was an Indian team, an Indian bowling attack in unbelievable form. Jasprit Bumrah was in incredible form in that series,” Swann said.
“I think England underestimated the West Indies, even sub-consciously, and they picked the wrong team. England got their team selection wrong by dropping Broad. I will keep banging on about this. England blunted their whole bowling attack by not playing Broad,” Swann added.
Swann lauded Broad for doing the hard yards for years now. “I think he will forgive me for this, I’m not calling Stuart Broad a donkey, but remember, there is such a thing called donkey’s work in a Test match. A fast bowler who can bowl 25 overs a day on the sport, never bowl a bad ball, day in day out, same pace – that is Stuart Broad. He is the foil for James Anderson,” Swann stated.
