look news india
News India Live, Digital Desk: After India’s victory in the T20 World Cup 2026 and Bumrah’s disastrous performance, a heated debate was seen between the two former England captains on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast. While on one hand Bumrah was compared to Messi and Ronaldo, Cook changed the course of the discussion by asking a ‘difficult’ question.
Alastair Cook’s ‘8/15’ question (Alastair Cook’s Challenge)
Alastair Cook praised Bumrah, but expressed doubts over his ‘impact’ in Test cricket:
Cook’s statement: “Without any doubt, he is the best all-format bowler in the world at the moment. But has he ever bowled over Stuart Broad in a Test match? 8/15 (2015 Ashes) where he single-handedly destroys the entire team? Or is he not that kind of bowler?”
logic: Cook believes that Bumrah is very economical, but can he bring the opposition team to its knees by taking 8-9 wickets in a Test innings like Broad or Anderson?
Michael Vaughan’s counterattack: “Bumrah is the Messi-Ronaldo of cricket”
former captain of England Michael Vaughan rejected Cook’s argument:
Greatest bowler: “I started following cricket closely in 1985 and Bumrah is the best bowler I have ever seen,” Vaughan said.
Comparison with Football Legends: Vaughan to Bumrah Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi As the player said, he alone has the power to change the course of the match.
World Cup Winner: Vaughan even said that if Bumrah had been in the England team, England would have won the T20 World Cup 2026.
What do Bumrah’s test stats say? (Bumrah’s Test Record)
These records of Bumrah can answer Cook’s question:
Best innings: 6/27 (vs West Indies, 2019 – which included a hat-trick).
Best in match: 9/86.
USP: Bumrah has won many test matches for India on the pitches of Australia, England and South Africa (SENA country). Although, he has not yet taken 10 or 8 wickets in a Test innings, but his strike rate is better than many of the greats of the world.