Bazball can fetch me heaps of wickets: Jasprit Bumrah excited by England challenge ahead of crucial WTC series

Hyderabad: Team India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah acknowledged the revolution brought about by 'Bazball', but pointed out that the aggressive approach which England have adopted in the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes regime will help him as a bowler.

In an interview with The Guardian ahead of the home Test series against England, Bumrah stated that he does not "really relate to the term Bazball".

"They are playing successful cricket and the aggressive route of taking the opposition on, showing the world there’s another way to play Test cricket," Bumrah said.

“As a bowler, what I think is that it keeps me in play. And if they’re going for it, playing so fast, they won’t tire me out, I could get heaps (of wickets). I always think about how I can use things to my advantage. Kudos to them but, as a bowler, you’re in the game,” he said.

The series, which is a part of the ICC World Test Championship, provides India with the chance to go to the top of the standings. They are currently placed below Australia with two wins and a draw in four Tests.

Having lost only three Test matches at home in the past decade, India are favourites to seal a series victory against the touring England side.

Bumrah, who was the stand-in captain for India when they last played England in a Test match, expressed that to his generation of players, "Test cricket is King".

“I don’t know how the youngsters look at it, but Test cricket has been around this long, it will find a way," Bumrah said.

"There is no luck in Test cricket, the better team wins, you cannot take 20 wickets through luck.

I was never happy with just white-ball cricket and Test cricket is still the utmost format for me," he said.

The series begins on January 25 in Hyderabad with the next four Tests to be played in Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala.

India will be without batting lynchpin Virat Kohli, who requested to be withdrawn from the squad for the first two Tests due to personal reasons.