Bumrah vs Root: The Rivalry That Shapes India vs England Tests

There’s something almost personal now about Jasprit Bumrah bowling to Joe Root. The head-to-head numbers tell a story England’s batting kingpin will hate to hear. Ten times—yes, ten—Bumrah has sent Root back in Test matches, and only Pat Cummins has done it more. The pattern is clear: whenever India needs to break England’s spirit, Bumrah puts his hand up and targets their best.

Their most recent tussle at Headingley in 2025 summed it all up. Root, the world’s top-rated Test batter, came out looking to steady England. Bumrah had other plans. He was on Root in a flash, spraying just enough seam and swing to keep him guessing. Root lasted a shaky 11 balls, managing only 4 runs before poking one to first slip. That was all Bumrah needed to tip the session in India's favor. And it’s not just this time—Root has never really worked him out, with 10 slips so far in 25 meetings.

The Numbers Behind the Grip

Looking at their matchups, Bumrah’s impact grows starker. Take the raw stats: across their face-offs, Bumrah has given up 290 runs to Root in 570 balls. That’s a strike rate of just a hair over 50 and an average of 29—nowhere near Root’s usual 49-plus. The pressure is constant; Root faces dot after dot, 419 in all, and it’s easy to see how frustration takes over. In 2024 alone, Bumrah got him three times in a single series, and this year he’s already struck at Headingley.

It’s not all numbers, though. The way Bumrah works the ball—mixing in yorkers, seamers, and those sharp in-cutters—seems to get right into Root's head. In the 2025 Test, over a third of Root’s shots off Bumrah were what analysts call 'false strokes,' a fancy term for being fooled or beaten. That kind of pressure isn’t luck. Bumrah keeps pounding the same awkward line just outside off stump, and Root keeps fidgeting at deliveries, knowing he can’t let his guard drop for even a ball.

Bumrah’s 3/25 at Headingley wasn’t just about Root, either. Besides the big scalp, he picked up Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, giving India a real opening. With Root so often the anchor for England, his early dismissal feels doubly crucial.

What does this mean for India-England Tests? For India, the game plan is obvious: get Bumrah on, get Root hopping, and the rest of the batting can start to unravel. As England look for answers, the balance of this rivalry could decide more than just individual contests—it might shape whole series.