Former England opener Michael Atherton has said that he is relieved not to face Jasprit Bumrah’s new-ball bowling. The former England captain believes the right-arm pacer looks unplayable, labeling him as a nightmare for batters around the globe. Bumrah also showed his class as one of the best new-ball bowlers with a deadly spell of bowling against Australia in the opening Test in Perth as well.

Speaking on the Sky Sports Podcast (via Indian Express), Atherton said: “I thought Jasprit Bumrah was absolutely fantastic. Those two new ball spells. I mean, there’s a few bowlers when you retire, you don’t really think about, you know, your time as a player, but there’s the odd bowler that I just think, thank goodness I did not face him with a new ball. I mean, how would you play him?

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“He’s like a nightmare, isn’t he? He stutters away from off about 10 yards and then unleashes these thunderbolts, usually bang on a sixpence,” he added.

Atherton also added that he was surprised to see Australia losing so meekly at home and observed how the change in conditions altered the
complexion of the game as well.

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“Australia can’t have been beaten like that, that heavily and that badly at home for a long time. That was a real shellacking. But what struck me, a brilliant Test cricket to watch.”And I love the fact that you had that contrast from day one where 17 wickets fell and it looked a real struggle and you can see two quality attacks there. And then, of course, it changed in nature and became much tougher for the bowlers,” he concluded.