Jasprit Bumrah once again proved why he’s India’s crown jewel in red-ball cricket with a breathtaking five-wicket haul in the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds. His figures of 5 for 83 from 24.4 overs didn’t just dismantle England’s batting but also marked his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket — equalling the great Kapil Dev for the most five-fors by an Indian pacer in the format.

Bumrah’s scalps were high-quality and impactful — removing both openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett early, sending the dangerous Joe Root back cheaply, and then coming back to clean up the tail with the dismissals of Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue. Thanks to his relentless effort, India managed to snatch a slim yet vital six-run lead after England threatened to overtake their first-innings total of 471.

Former India opener and cricket pundit Aakash Chopra was effusive in his praise for Bumrah. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra compared Bumrah to a guaranteed investment, stating, “An ode to Jasprit Bumrah should be written. He is like a fixed deposit — whenever you need something, just hand him the ball, and he delivers. Absolutely sensational.”

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Chopra didn’t hold back in highlighting the difference between Bumrah and his bowling peers. While Mohammed Siraj looked fatigued and Prasidh Krishna lacked bite, Bumrah stood tall and menacing. Shardul Thakur, on the other hand, was underutilized throughout the innings.

“If catches had been taken, Bumrah could’ve had eight wickets instead of five,” Chopra added. “And the lead might’ve been 160, not six.” Taking his admiration a notch higher, Chopra suggested Bumrah’s value to Indian cricket is so immense that he deserves the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award. “He is priceless,” he declared.

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Chopra did express concern, however, about the workload Bumrah is shouldering. “At this rate, how many games can he play in a five-Test series? Maybe just three. He’s doing it all alone right now,” he noted.

As India eyes a series lead, one thing is clear — Jasprit Bumrah isn’t just leading the pace attack; he’s carrying it.