Jasprit Bumrah is confident India will be able to tackle England's ultra-aggressive approach during the upcoming five-match Test series.
Speaking to former Australia captain Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 YouTube channel, Bumrah said: "Playing in England is always a different challenge. I always love bowling with the Dukes ball.
"But I don't know how much to Dukes ball is doing right now because there's always constant changes to the ball. But the weather, the swinging conditions, and then when the ball becomes soft there is always a challenge. So I always look forward to playing in England."
The world No.1 ranked Test bowler was the leading wicket-taker in India's last Test tour of England in 2021/22. He took 23 wickets across five matches at an average of 22.47. India's next highest wicket-taker from that series, Mohammed Siraj, took 18 wickets. Having played nine Test matches in England, including the 2021 World Test Championship final against New Zealand, Bumrah has an impressive record in the country, with 37 wickets at 26.27 and two five-fors.
Bumrah also commented on how India would look to combat England's aggressive approach under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes in their own conditions. "They're playing an interesting style of cricket, which is interesting because I don't really understand it too much," he said. "But as a bowling unit, we always feel confident that when the batters are being ultra-aggressive, on a given day anybody could run through and get wickets."
Also read: Ben Duckett - Nothing from Bumrah will surprise me, England should beat India this summer
Bumrah will lead India's pace attack in the five-match series, with the likes of Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh also included in India's squad. Speaking during the announcement of India's squad, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that Bumrah is unlikely to play all five Tests in the series in order to manage his workload. The 31-year-old suffered a stress reaction in his back during India's fifth Test match against Australia earlier this year, and subsequently missed the Champions Trophy. He made a return to action for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, taking 17 wickets in the competition.
"Obviously it is tough for any individual to keep playing everything for so long," said Bumrah. "I've been doing it for a while, but eventually you have to understand where your body is going, what is the important tournament.
"You have to be a little selective and smart about how you use your body. As a cricketer, I would never want to leave anything and always keep on going. But I don't set goals or look at numbers. Whenever I have, I've never been able to fulfill them.
"I just try and enjoy because that's why I started this sport. Take one day at a time and collect memories because, at the end, that's all I'll remember."
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