Ravi Shastri was impressed with Bumrah and he was convinced about his skills for Test cricket.
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah was a hit in the limited-overs format before making it into the Test side. He started his career for team India in 2016 and waited till 2018 to get his Test debut. It was India tour to South Africa when he made his first appearance in whites for India.
India's bowling coach Bharat Arun revealed it was head coach Ravi Shastri's decision to get Bumrah on board for Proteas tour in 2018.
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Speaking to reporter Indranil Basu in a Facebook Live interview with Sportskeeda, Arun said: “It is very unfair to say that I am the one who picked Bumrah for Tests. In all fairness, it was Ravi Shastri who really wanted Bumrah.”
Bumrah had already played 32 T20Is, including a T20 World Cup for India till 2018. He appeared in ICC Champions Trophy 2017 too.
Shastri was sure about the young India pacer Bumrah for South Africa tour after a home game in Kolkata.
“I think it was after a match in Kolkata, before the South Africa tour, Ravi Shastri felt that Bumrah would be extremely effective. He was really impressed with him. He wanted me to call him up and tell him that. It was about two months before the South Africa tour. He wanted me to call up Bumrah and tell him that he was most likely to tour South Africa with the Test team,” Arun said.
“When I spoke to Bumrah, he said ‘it was his dream to play in Tests’. A lot of people had classified him as an ODI bowler - he in his heart of hearts knew he could be a very good Test match bowler. So he said ‘I would give anything to be a Test match bowler and I would work towards it’. Truthfully, it was Ravi Shastri’s idea and Bumrah was right up to the challenge,” the 57-year-old further added.
Bumrah is now India's bowling spearhead and the decision turned out to be a vital one by Shastri. The pacer has 68 wickets in 14 Tests already.
Arun commented on the 26-year-old fast bowler's success and said, “Bumrah in the last few strides he gives it everything he has. He looks pretty innocuous when he runs. But he doesn’t generate too much momentum in his run-up. That’s why he is so deceptive.”
“His arm being very, very quick... normally bowlers begin from slightly bent-arm, then going on to the fully outstretched arm, because that is the most ideal way to generate speed. Bumrah starts with the longer lever, it’s just very difficult to generate speed. But if you are able to do that, it would be very effective. But not all bowlers could do it. Bumrah has a unique capacity and ability to do that, and that’s why he is so successful,” he further said.
(With Sportskeeda Inputs)