‘It’s all condition-dependent..’ – Brendon McCullam replies confidently when asked about strategy to tackle Jasprit Bumrah

Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand skipper, who is known for his aggressive style of batting during his playing days, reflects on his way of coaching also. McCulam’s aggressive approach to Bazball looked clueless in front of Jasprit Bumrah’s lethal bowling. India’s leader of the pace attack Jasprit Bumrah took nine wickets in the last Test match in Visakhapatnam. but head coach of England Brendon McCullum is pretty confident that their team will tackle the threat of Bumrah with a positive approach.

The 30-year-old Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah was lethal with his bowling skills. England had no answer in front of his fiery in-swinging yorkers. Jasprit Bumrah’s figures of 6/45 to help dismiss the tourists for 253 in their first innings and 3/46 in the second innings, set up India’s series-levelling win in Visakhapatnam.

The former New Zealand opener was non-committal when asked about Jasprit Bumrah’s threat in the remaining three Tests, he said that his team does not believe in theories.

Brendon McCullum, also known for his aggressive strategies in coaching

England head coach McCullum praised Jasprit Bumrah’s spell in the second Test match. “There are contrasting ways of going about it…we will see where we get to. For now, we have to tip our cap to Jasprit and say that spell (in the first innings of the second Test) was as good as anything we have seen so far on this trip,” he said to ESPNcricinfo.

The former fearless skipper of New Zealand applauded the skill sets of Jasprit Bumrah. He said “It’s all condition dependent. When the ball is swinging like that he becomes even more of a threat. He is a fantastic bowler in all forms of the game. He is unique with his release points and with how much swing he can generate in the air.”

McCullum feels very much confident about their batters because, in last one and half years, they faced very good .”No doubt he is very good, but we have come up against very good bowlers all through the last 18 months or so and found ways to counter them and that is what we have got to do in this one.” McCullum thinks both of the nations are playing good cricket and thinks a 1-1 scoreline after two Tests was a “fair reflection that we’re in the contest”.

He is not worried about Joe Root’s form during the first two Tests in the series. He said, “He’s a world-class player and as good as any player England has ever seen. His method (in the final innings of the second Test), whilst people will look to the dismissal, look at the method of his option and he was trying to get the field back so he could milk them, It is the bravery you have to take at times, and sometimes you get out doing it, but that’s just the way the game rolls. There is no doubt from our point of view in that approach.”