Glenn Maxwell, Australian cricketer, has lauded Jasprit Bumrah, saying that the Indian pacer is going to go down as potentially the best fast bowler of all time. This comes after Bumrah’s Player of the Match performance in India’s 295-run win in the first Test of BGT 2024 in Perth.
Bumrah, who captained India in the absence of Rohit Sharma, picked 8 wickets in the match including a five-wicket haul. His fifer led to Australia getting out for 104 runs in the first innings in reply to India’s 150.
Centuries by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli then took India to 486/6d in the second innings, setting Australia 534 runs to win. However, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj picked 3 wickets each as Australia only managed 238 runs with Travis Head top-scoring with 89 runs, with India winning by 295 runs to go 1-0 up in the five-Test series.
Australian cricketer Glen Maxwell has heaped praise on the seamer for the opening Test at Perth. He believed that the Indian pacer’s ability to take the ball away made him ‘extremely difficult’ to face.
“It almost feels like his bouncer and his length ball are very similar where his release point is. And it’s really hard to, I suppose, pick up the difference between those. The ball always feels like it’s coming back into you. And he’s got the ability to take the ball away, which just makes it extremely difficult,” Maxwell told The Grade Cricketer podcast.
Bumrah now has a total of 181 wickets at an average of 20.06 in 41 Test matches. He has also taken 149 wickets in 89 ODIs and 89 wickets in 70 T20Is and Maxwell rated the bowler as a complete package.
“Bumrah is going to go down as potentially the best fast bowler of all time. Maybe not with the amount of wickets he takes in every format but for the guys that have played against him, it is just so difficult. So difficult. He’s just got such a unique action, unique ability with the ball. He seems like a complete package,” said Maxwell.
Maxwell was also praiseful of young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who smacked 161 runs in the econd innings,m after he had scored a duck in the first do. Maxwell counted the Mumbai youngster as the one who could re-write some of the records.
“And Jaiswal doesn’t seem to have many weaknesses. Plays a short ball well, drives well, plays spin unbelievably well, and can absorb pressure for periods of time. He’s a guy that’s probably to get more than 40 Test hundreds. And re-write some of the different records as well,” said Maxwell.
India and Australia will clash in the second Test in Adelaide, a pink ball match from December 6 onwards.
