Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Rohit Mahajan
Jasprit Bumrah’s action, he says, is a bit “jumbled up”. It’s certainly that, and a bit comical, and quite deceptive, and very effective.
When Bumrah steams in to bowl, for a split second both his arms are parallel and his hands pointing toward the batsman — it’s bewilderingly non-conventional, almost comical. Most batsmen haven’t ever encountered a bowler with such an action. They take time to get to the bottom of it.
Sachin Tendulkar calls Bumrah the best bowler in the world. Now, loyalty can cause imbalanced opinions. Tendulkar is undoubtedly loyal to Mumbai Indians — so loyal that he doesn’t charge the team a fee for shepherding it as its ‘Icon’. And Bumrah plays for Mumbai Indians. Rating a bowler on the basis of a domestic Twenty20 tournament is unwise anyway, and Tendulkar is undoubtedly biased. However, his views aren’t jaundiced. Bumrah can lay the claim to being called the best in the business right now.
His bowling in the IPL final against Chennai Super Kings was incredible — he was not hit for a single four off 24 balls, bowled 13 dot balls and conceded only 14 runs.
Now, something for the Test connoisseurs. Bumrah took 48 wickets in away Tests last year. Only two other fast bowlers have taken more away Test wickets in a calendar year in the 21st century — they’re Dale Steyn (51 in 2008) and Glenn McGrath (49 in 2001). Bumrah ranking close to Steyn and McGrath was no fluke. He bowls with pace and variation. And intelligence: The wicket of Shaun Marsh at Melbourne in late December, for instance — after hitting batsmen on the helmet with balls that rose with searing pace off the pitch, he bowled a slow, loopy ball that fooled Marsh completely.
In ODIs over the last five years, only two pacers have taken more wickets in a calendar year than Bumrah’s 39 in 2017 — they’re Hasan Ali (45 in 2017) and Mitchell Starc (41 in 2015). Below them are the rest of the best fast bowlers in the world.
So, Bumrah is definitely good. Certainly world-class. The best? Maybe. The World Cup will give us a fairer idea about that.
Cup hopes
In May in England of the past, batsmen used to tremble, not merely due to the cold but also due to the green pitches and nippy bowlers. But England has changed. The wickets are definitely dead — in their last two ODIs of the ongoing series, England and Pakistan put up a total of 1,451 runs in four innings, at an average of 7.4 runs an over; 350 runs an innings is a banality. The fast bowlers are scarred.
What can Bumrah do on the defanged England and Wales pitches? When crazed batsmen — high on a dose of flat pitches and bludgeon-like bats — are going after a bowler, deception is the best weapon. For a fast bowler, that deception comes with the change in line, length and pace. Bumrah is known as the best yorker man in world cricket right now, and batsmen would be prepared for that — but the beauty of a great yorker is that even if the batsman knows it’s coming, it’s very difficult to score off. Bumrah can be India’s talisman in England. He must, like his action, jumble up his bowling. That would enhance India’s prospects, and leave Virat Kohli a very happy man.
Bumrah factfile
- Age: 25 years 161 days
- Born in: Ahmedabad
- Major teams: India, Gujarat, Mumbai Indians
Bumrah Trivia
- Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah is a Punjabi Sikh
- Bumrah lost his father when he was only seven and was brought up by his mother single-handedly
- Bumrah made his first class debut for Gujarat in 2013
- He can be called the first true success story of the IPL, because before his first class debut, he had already been signed up by Mumbai Indians
- At Mumbai Indians, working closely with yorker specialist Lasith Malinga helped Bumrah hone his own death over skills
