India’s Jasprit Bumrah is widely regarded as the best fast bowler in the world across formats. He is currently dominating the Australian batters in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.
Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker in the series so far with 21 scalps at a staggering 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 in Melbourne, former India head coach Ravi Shastri heaped praise on Bumrah’s ability to quickly read an opposition batter's strengths and weaknesses, likening the fast bowler to West Indies legend Malcolm Marshall.
“He’s a terrific reader of the game when it comes to batsmen. I thought when I played the best bowler I played against was Malcolm Marshall, because of his ability to suss out conditions, read batsmen’s strengths and weaknesses. I think Bumrah is in that category. He’s so quick to suss the strengths and weaknesses of a player," Shastri told Fox Cricket.
“He’s taken close to 200 wickets and close to a hundred in India, and he’s taken those at 17. In India, you must realise the ball starts reversing, because of the rough conditions. So if he doesn’t take wickets with the new ball, he’s dangerous at the end,” he added.
After his nine-wicket match haul at the Gabba, Jasprit Bumrah became the most successful Indian bowler in Australia, with 53 wickets in 10 Tests at an average of 17.15, surpassing Kapil Dev's tally of 51 scalps in 11 matches.
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.
With the BGT currently tied at 1-1, all eyes will be on Bumrah whether he can produce another magical spell to script India’s historic Test series win on Australian soil for the third time in a row.
On a separate note, Shastri said he expects a baptism by fire for teenage opener Sam Konstas, who is all set to make his Test debut at MCG on Thursday (December 26).
Bumrah troubled Nathan McSweeney, who was left out of the squad after the first three Tests of the series.
"Bumrah is up for the challenge, he loves bowling at the MCG. I remember his six-wicket haul when I was a coach when he just dismantled Australia," Shastri stated.
“He’s in that kind of form, he just takes wickets for fun in Australia. It’s ridiculous. There’s no respite because he’s at the peak of his powers and what he does with the new ball makes it difficult for any batsmen. He swings it and seams it both ways, he’s absolutely relentless," he remarked.
