'He's Hurried With Bumrah' - Atherton Spots Chink In Stokes' Armour 

image-lse75k0tBumrah has had a wood over Ben Stokes [X.com]

Ben Stokes' two major bowled dismissals against Jasprit Bumrah in the first two Tests in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam have laid bare a chink in the left-hander's armour facing the great Indian speedster, believes Michael Atherton. 

Stokes, a perennial danger for the opposition attacks in the English lower middle-order, has blasted 134 runs in his four innings, including a priceless knock of 70 in the win in Hyderabad. However, the aggressive batter hasn't decoded the Bumrah puzzle, been out with his stumps sent cartwheeling on two occasions.

Former England opener Atherton reckons it's a case of Stokes being "hurried" by the pace and threat posed by Bumrah at the crease. The prominent expert feels the visiting captain hasn't been reacting quickly enough to Bumrah's speeds, which can clock up to 145 kmph, making his deliveries harder to spot with an unorthodox bowling action. 

Atherton On Stokes vs Bumrah 

"Picking with the speed of the ball is tough with him, and I’ve noticed with Stokes, even Stokes actually is an excellent player of fast bowling. He’s hurried with Bumrah," Atherton told Sky Cricket. 

"He struggles to pick up the pace, and a couple of times when he’s got him, it looks as though the ball has kept low, which has but it also almost beaten him for pace as well. I think that’s the issue with Bumrah," he added.

Bumrah has been the stand-out bowler from either side in spin-dominated conditions for the series so far. The pacer has delivered excellent old-ball spells and made great use of reverse swing to curtail the English wings. 

The ace bowler has taken 15 wickets in just four innings and is a major reason why India managed to level up the series 1-1 in Vizag, helping the team bag a sizeable lead with his 6 for 45 and then defending the target of 399 by contributing figures of 3 for 46.