Saliva Ban Made It Difficult To Shine The Ball, Says Jasprit Bumrah

Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was playing his Test first at home here on Friday, said it was tough to bowl on flat pitches like that of MA Chidambaram Stadium under the new Covid-19 rules that bar the use of saliva to work on the ball.

"Over here, the ball did become soft after a while and when the wicket is on the flatter side and the bounce is less, you are left with limited options. You are trying to figure out what you can do with limited things (options) on hand. Yes, it is limited -- when the ball becomes soft and doesn't shine really well -- because of the new Covid rules that says we can't use saliva. So, it is very difficult during that time to maintain the ball," Bumrah, 27, told the media on Thursday.

The India bowlers struggled to get wickets as England ended the first day at 263 for three. Bumrah picked two of those wickets (2/40 in 18.3 overs), including one in the last over of the day. Both his dismissals were leg-before-wicket decisions and it seemed the ball had come into the batsmen.