Former England pacer Steve Harmisson loves watching the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami go about their business and thanks to their incredible skills, he feels that India have become a formidable force under any circumstances. Shami, who has an ankle injury and is yet to feature in the India-England series, is a master bowler while Bumrah showed his wide range of skills on Saturday by running through England with a sensational display of reverse swing. .
In fact, the second Test was dominated by pacers, with Bumrah recording his best figures in Indian conditions and James Anderson defying age with sharp spells.
“They were both brilliant. It shows their class. If you have good skills you will survive, you will ask good questions and that is what Anderson and Bumrah have. They are incredible bowlers,” Harmison told PTI on Sunday.
“In Hyderabad, where Bumrah got Root and Duckett, that was one of the most enthralling hours of Test cricket you would see for a long time and in this Test, Anderson and Bumrah were incredible,” said the tall, 226-match fast bowler. wickets in 63 Tests and was part of the iconic Ashes triumph in 2005.
Harmison, who played just one Test in India and is here on a commentary assignment, is also a fan of Shami and Siraj's work.
In his playing days, India did not have a battery of world-class pacers like they possess now. As part of their tribe, Harmison can only be happy with the rapid growth of fast bowling in India.
“The skills of Bumrah, Shami and even Siraj, I love watching them bowl. They have a great bowling attack, a fantastic spin attack and seam bowlers who can be effective anywhere in the world. That's why one of the best teams in the world is the world,” he said.
Speaking about the ongoing five-match series, Harmison believes the Ben Stokes-led side has a very good chance of success.
“The 2005 Ashes was different to England where you have smaller totals and closer matches. Here if a team bats first and gets a big score in the first innings, it becomes difficult (to come back).
“If you compare the two teams that are evenly matched, Ben Stokes has the right prospects to come here and play positively. They are more likely to win series here than in previous years.” England last won a series in India in 2012 and the home side have still not lost since.
Harmison had criticized England's decision to train in Abu Dhabi before boarding the flight to India. Despite a stunning victory in the series opener, Harmison's views on the matter have not changed.
“I made the comments from a preparation point of view. When you come here you need some time on the ground and that's it. I still believe that if you come to India, you have bowlers who have not been to India before been, they need some time to prepare.
“But there is one thing about this England team. I know how hard they work, I will never question that,” said Harmison, referring to their inexperienced spin attack.
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