Jasprit Bumrah led a spirited group of Indian cricketers to a commanding Test victory on Australian soil, securing a massive win by 295 runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener in Perth.
The right-arm quick, who stepped in as captain in the absence of Rohit Sharma, made the Aussie batters dance to his tunes at the Optus Stadium, returning with eight-wicket haul (8-72) in the match.
For his match-winning exploits, Bumrah is receiving praises from all quarters. Recently, star Australian batter Steve Smith lauded the Indian pace spearhead for his "unorthodox bowling action” and “exceptional skill-set”.
Smith emphasized that Bumrah's release point is a foot closer to the batters unlike any other bowler in the world, which makes it difficult to pick his length.
“From the start of his run-up, it’s just all awkward. The way he runs in is different to pretty much anyone else, then the last bit of his action is different. I’ve faced him a reasonable amount now, and each time you face him it takes a few balls just to get the rhythm of it in a way," Smith told Sydney Morning Herald.
“He releases the ball closer to you than any other bowler, just the way he does it. So maybe it rushes you a bit more than you think, and it’s just an awkward action," he added.
Smith also halied Bumrah as a "complete package" as the latter has every possible weapon in his bowling armoury.
“Put that together with his skill set—he swings it both ways, he can nip it off the seam, he can reverse it, got a good slower ball, a good bouncer—he’s pretty much the complete package as a bowler," said Smith.
After getting bowled out for 150 in the first innings of Perth Test, India made a stunning comeback. Riding on Bumrah’s fifer (5-30), the visitors bundled out the Aussies for a paltry 104 to gain a handy 46-run lead.
The Indian batting line-up responded brilliantly in the second dig, with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal (161), KL Rahul (77) and Virat Kohli (100*) registering big scores to propel the tourists to 487/6 (declared).
Setting a colossal 534-run target for Australia, the Indian bowlers produced another masterclass to skittle Pat Cummins' men out for just 238. Bumrah starred with the ball once again as he took three wickets (3-42).
As a result of his Player-of-the-Match performance, Jasprit Bumrah regained the top spot in the ICC Men’s Test Rankings for bowlers.
The second Test is slated to be held in Adelaide, which will be played with the pink-ball from December 6. Regular skipper Rohit Sharma will return to the XI for the second game, and India will also take part in a two-day tour game against Prime Minister's XI in Canberra to prepare for the day-night Test.
