India, Aug. 10 -- There was a phase at Eden Gardens last November that best explains Jasprit Bumrah's value to India better than any statistic. South Africa had begun the first Test briskly. The score had moved to 57 without loss and the pitch, despite pre-match anxiety about its character, did not appear to have persuaded the visitors to go into survival mode. Then Bumrah intervened.

Dismissing two set openers in consecutive overs, Bumrah finished with 5/27 by the time South Africa were bowled out for 159. Once again, India had been provided headway into a Test by a bowler who could make a pitch look more helpful than it was, turn pressure into wickets and change the direction of an innings almost by himself.

Bumrah did something simil...