Jasprit Bumrah was one of the key figures in India’s 2018-19 Test series win in Australia, which was the first-ever for the country in its cricketing history. Virat Kohli and co. had done the unthinkable and defeated Australia in their own backyard, becoming the first Asian team to do so.
Bumrah had an excellent Test series picking 21 wickets in 4 Tests including the best bowling of 6/33 in the Melbourne Test win. He was the Player of the Match for his 9 wickets as India beat Australia by 137 runs to take a 2-1 series lead.
However, the next Test was in Sydney and fielding coach R Sridhar, in his book 'Coaching Beyond', reveals that Bumrah approached then-bowling coach Bharat Arun and shared with him that he was tired physically and mentally, and since the pitch was docile, he wanted to go easy and bowl a bit slower to conserve himself.
'Sir,' he started, slightly hesitantly, 'The wicket is absolutely placid, and there is nothing in it for the faster bowlers'. One of Arun's many strengths is his willingness to listen. He knew Bumrah wanted to tell him something but was unsure how to go about it. But instead of forcing his hand, Arun allowed things to play out naturally. Bumrah, of course, had been the star of India's win in the previous Test; he had been our best bowler throughout the series, as a matter of fact," Sridhar wrote in his book 'Coaching Beyond'.
"'I am very jaded, Sir, physically exhausted and mentally drained,' he went on. 'That's where I am at, personally. There's nothing at stake so far as the series is concerned. The track is docile. It's more or less certain that this game will end in a draw?' After this elaborate build-up, the coin finally dropped. 'So what I will do, Sir, is I'll bowl a little slowly. I won't go flat out. I'll bowl well within myself and take out this Test.'"
BCCI had already rested Bumrah from the New Zealand series after the Australia tour to manage his workload keeping the 2019 World Cup in mind. Sridhar then notes that Arun, a fast bowler himself, listened patiently to Bumrah and then offered him two solutions to choose from.
"'The first option is what you are saying,' Arun pointed 'You can take it easy and bowl well within yourself. You can bowl at 130-32 kmph, just finish playing this Test, then fly back home to recover and get ready for the World Cup. But in doing so, what may happen is you may end up giving the batter the confidence that he has played you well. You have bowled slowly; you have bowled within yourself; you have controlled your pace because you didn't want to exert your body and mind. But the batter doesn't know that.
So, if you bowl like that and if a player like Shaun Marsh or Marnus Labuschagne plays you out, he will actually get the confidence to do it again. He's going to go one- up over you. So, tomorrow, in another match, even when you are bowling flat out, he will think, "I have played him well, I have that mental edge over him." That will give him the confidence to play you better even if you're bowling at your best. He will get accustomed to you," added Sridhar.
"'The second option is to go out there and bowl another spell or two of four or five overs each, wherein you go flat out and give nothing away to the batter even on a placid track. By doing that, you will also give the impression that even on a totally docile strip on day three or day four of the fourth Test of a series that you have all but won, you're still able to come and do this. Assume that sometime later, you are bowling to the same batter in another game on day one when there's a little bit of assistance. You look at the psychological edge you will have over that batter when the conditions are more favorable to you. You can either do what you are saying or choose the second option I have outlined. The choice is yours,'" Arun stated as per Sridhar in his book.
Sridhar then wrote that Arun’s words clicked with Bumrah and on day 4, he bowled full out and had the batters in check though he managed just one wicket and Kuldeep Yadav starred with a fifer, it was Bumrah’s spell with the second new ball that made the Australian batters look like walking wickets.
"Then he said, 'Yes, Sir, I agree with you. Thank you very much for telling me this. I'll go and give my best. I anyway have a one-month break after this. I will do what I have to do. I am not going to hold back when it comes to that?' When he came back into the dressing room at tea time, he went straight to Arun and told him, 'You were right, Sir. From now on, I will go all out, no matter the game situation. 'I understand where you're coming from, Sir,' he continued. "You have triggered a change in my thought process. I will take this as a learning and stick to this going forward,'" Sridhar mentioned.
(Hindustan Times inputs)
