India’s Jasprit Bumrah is widely regarded as the best fast bowler in the world across formats. He is currently making the Australian batters dance to his tunes in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.
Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker in the series so far with 21 scalps at an average of 10.90. He has two fifers and one four-wicket haul to his name after the three Tests.
Ahead of the Boxing Day Test at MCG, the BCCI shared a video social media, where Bumrah talked about perfecting the craft of fast bowling.
"Some days you'll be tired, but on game day you'll be tired as well. So you have to push yourself some days in the nets as well because again you will be tired, you'll never be fresh all the time if you play Test cricket," Bumrah said.
After his nine-wicket match haul at the Gabba, Bumrah became the most successful Indian bowler in Australia, with 53 wickets in 10 Tests at an average of 17.15, going past Kapil Dev's tally of 51 scalps in 11 matches.
He added, "What works for me? When I've taken wickets, how have I taken wickets, how was I feeling? What was my body feeling like? So all of those things I keep that in mind, I write it out and try to replicate that mindset again and again."
Bumrah was the chief architect behind India’s 295-run victory in the series opener at Perth. In Rohit Sharma’s absence, he led the visiting team from the front and picked up eight wickets in the game.
"Every game will not go well, but then if you have that balance, more than often not you're able to execute. I used to practice every day different kinds of deliveries. After doing it again and again and again, your body has that muscle memory. So this sport is all about volume. Initially you want to learn anything, you have to do it again and again. Why do we execute the length ball a lot. Because we've done it so many times. Every ball is like that," Bumrah stated in the video.
"Practice with being aware of what you're doing not just for the heck of it, repetition, but smart work, but initially, think before 27-28, don't think about workload. You have to learn the sport. If you don't bowl, if you don't do it enough how will you learn that craft? It's not a video game that I've decided and it'll happen. You have to do it. Again and again," he further remarked.
With the BGT currently tied at 1-1, all eyes will be on Jasprit Bumrah whether he can produce another magical spell to script India’s historic Test series win in Australia for the third time in a row.