Bumrah’s magic gives India command

Pacer claims 5/27 from his 14 overs as the hosts bowl out South Africa for 159

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

India's Jasprit Bumrah in action on Day 1 at Eden Gardens

(SAYANTAN GHOSH)

PAYING %60 to watch a whole day of Test cricket feels a bit illegal. In this hyperinflated world of elite sport where you have to pay top money to either get in or watch it on an app behind the paywall, 760 feels like one of those steal deals.

It certainly felt like one of those days for the over 36000 fans who had made their way to the Eden Gardens to welcome back Test cricket to these parts for the first time in six years.

When they went back home on Friday evening, the paying public would have a lot of memories to look back on. Kuldeep Yadav’s beguiling class of his craft. The short but sweet opening partnership between Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram. Dhruv Jurel’s catch off Yadav to remove Temba Bavuma.

Above all, they will cherish yet another piece of Jasprit Bumrah theatre. Every ball a separate event, every over a limited edition web series and every spell a full length feature film.

He has made all of this look normal. An extraordinary cricketer doing extraordinary things while having the air of somebody out on his morning walk. Which isn’t out of character because the first few steps —14 to be exact — at the top of his mark is of a man ambling towards completing his daily step quota just after dinner. Slow, unhurried and completely content with life.