India speedster Jasprit Bumrah has come a long way after his international debut in January 2016. He currently holds the No. 3 position in ICC ODI rankings for bowlers and occupies the 9th spot in Test bowling rankings.
Bumrah has represented India in 16 Tests so far, taking 76 wickets at a phenomenal average of 20.68 with 5 five-wicket hauls. In 67 ODIs, he has picked up 108 wickets at an impressive average of 25.33 while his T20I record reads – 59 scalps from 49 games at an economy rate of 6.67.
Bumrah is currently featuring in a four-Test series against Australia and played a key role in India’s series-levelling victory in the second Test at MCG with 6 wickets to his name.
Looking at his exploits, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar on Friday (January 1) hailed Bumrah as the smartest operator in contemporary cricket.
“He (Bumrah) is probably India’s first fast bowler, who checks the wind speed and wind direction rather than how much grass has been left on the track. This thing used to be the art of Pakistanis, we used to know how you could play with the wind,” Akhtar said on YouTube channel “Sports Today”.
“We used to actually (do that), me, Wasim bhai and Waqar bhai, we used to note the wind speed and direction, look the wind is blowing from that corridor, okay I might get reverse from that end.
“We knew mechanics and aero dynamics of fast bowling, how much swing and at what time of the day. This is my assumption that Bumrah knows these sort of things which I hardly think other fast bowlers know these sort of things,” he added.
The Rawalpindi Express is fascinated by Bumrah’s skill-sets and his ability to outwit a batsman in a mere “five seconds”.
“In Bumrah’s world, in those five seconds, he only visualises the batsman and thinks about his art of taking wickets.
“He is a great character. He will be the most unusual but great fast bowler if fitness permits. If his back remains okay, he will play for a long time.”
Akhtar loves the manner in which Bumrah has proved people wrong.
“He has proved people wrong time and again. The more people were critical of his ungainly action, he just told them, look boss this is what I can do with this action.”
According to Akhtar, Bumrah’s biggest strength is his ability to alter length in a small corridor and deceive the batsman first in the air and then off the pitch.
“He sets up subtle traps. The 2×2 length corridor where he bowls, if you ask him to pitch 60 balls at same place, he can do that day in and day out.”
The use of crease is also one of his more effective weapons.
“When he comes over the wicket, he uses the crease well. He also comes close to the stumps, if need be goes wider, he plays with variations, so the length will increase or decrease as per need but it won’t be outside the corridor,” Akhtar said.
“He can bowl those away swinger to left-handers which will swing back in the air as the batsman will commit to an incoming delivery. Then after pitching, it will become and away going delivery,” he explained.
“He is that accurate fast bowler that if you get him out of sleep, he will pitch the bowler there only. He knows art of taking wickets,” he concluded.
(With PTI inputs)
