Former England Captain Warns Joe Root of Jasprit Bumrah Threat Ahead of 2025 India Series

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has issued a stern warning to star batter Joe Root, highlighting the potential challenge posed by Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming 2025 Test series between India and England. India is set to tour England for a five-match Test series, beginning on June 20, 2025, and Vaughan believes Bumrah could trouble Root significantly during the series.

Joe Root, who has been in sensational form throughout the current ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, remains the top scorer so far. However, his recent rare failure in the third Test against Sri Lanka, where he scored just 13 and 12 across two innings, proved costly for England as they lost the match by eight wickets. 

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Michael Vaughan warns Joe Root of Jasprit Bumrah threat

Reflecting on this setback, Michael Vaughan emphasized how crucial Root is to England’s batting lineup, describing him as the glue that holds the team together.

“This week really hit home to me how important Joe Root is to this batting lineup. His batting is the key. All these flamboyant players around him get flamboyant fifties. But without the glue at No 4 getting the huge amount of runs he does, they are knackered,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

Michael Vaughan pointed out that while Joe Root has been remarkably consistent, the England lineup cannot rely on him to deliver in every match. He also flagged Jasprit Bumrah as a major threat to Root’s form, noting the Indian pacer's ability to consistently trouble the former England skipper. 

" Jasprit Bumrah enjoys bowling at Root, and could severely limit his output next summer. The same goes for Pat Cummins in Australia, where Root has never scored a hundred. England have to have ways of succeeding when Root doesn’t make big runs. On the basis of this game, they don’t,” Vaughan added.

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Joe Root has been prolific against India throughout his career, amassing 2846 runs against them at an impressive average of 58.08, including ten centuries and 11 fifties. However, Bumrah, with his pace, movement, and accuracy, has historically posed significant challenges to the Englishman, particularly in high-pressure situations.

One of the world's finest bowlers against one of the world's finest batsmen, this is what the Root vs Bumrah contest is all about. Bumrah and Root have faced each other in thirteen matches and across 21 innings. Across all these innings, Bumrah has dismissed Root nine times.