Jasprit Bumrah played in three out of the five Tests.
It has been a couple of weeks since Mohammed Siraj castled the stumps of Gus Atkinson to help India draw the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy level. After a lot of twists and turns, India managed to put the final nail in the coffin with a narrow six wicket win in the fifth Test. Though Siraj shone with a five-wicket haul in the last Test, Prasidh Krishna was not far behind as well. The latter booked a four-wicket haul in the second innings, and helped India stage a victory that they will remember for a long time. Both bowlers stepped up in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.
Apart from all the cricket played, a huge point of discussion around the five-match Test series was the way Bumrah was managed. The 31-year-old pacer had made it very clear before the start of the series that he would only participate in three Test matches. This had a lot to do with the amount of stress his body could take, as he had recently made a comeback from injury. Post the series, a few experts have been vocal about their disagreements on the matter. They expressed that if Bumrah would have been available for all the Tests, India might have won the series. Some of the cricketing pundits also voiced the importance of playing for one’s country.
Having said that, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar understands the nuances of what Bumrah must have done to his body. The pacer from Meerut spoke in favour of Bumrah in a recent podcast. He signified the importance of realising what it takes to be an all-format player in these times. The game is picking up pace and is no longer under the boundaries of just two formats. The RCB pacer went on to say that if the selectors knew it in advance, there should be no problems about it.
“If the selectors know what he can offer and are okay with it, it’s because they know he can still make a big impact in those three games. People don’t always understand how tough it is to keep playing for so many years across formats. If you want a player to have a long career, you have to manage them somehow”, said Bhuvneshwar Kumar in support of Bumrah.
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Despite playing just three matches in the series, Bumrah’s impact was hard felt by England. He ended up with two five-wicket hauls and sent shivers down England’s spine. A bowler with a tremendous heart and a unique bowling action, often used by his captain to earn a breakthrough in crucial moments of the game. In his 48 match career, the Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer has scalped 219 wickets at an economy of less than three. The economy speaks volumes about the control he possesses with his accurate bowling.
The action of Jasprit Bumrah also makes it very difficult for the batter. The ball hurries on to the batter and forces him to play a false shot. As compared to a normal release point of a bowler, Bumrah’s release point is seven centimetres ahead. This explains his nature to hurry the batter. Moreover, his unique action and run-up exert a lot of pressure on his body. This is exactly the reason why he is advised to manage his workload in an efficient manner. The speedster had bagged 15 five-wicket hauls in his Test career, which is just about to touch 50 matches.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar spoke about Bumrah’s ability to stay calm under pressure. He also pointed out that it comes with experience. Right from when Bumrah made his debut, there was something special about him. Apart from just his bowling action and unique run-up, he had the ability to make things happen out of nowhere. As a result, Bumrah is able to trouble the batters on wickets where there is minimal assistance. And that is what makes him a valuable asset.
“Bumrah is always bowling in tough situations, which brings both mental and physical pressure. When he first came in, everyone could see there was something special. But with years of performance comes confidence. Once you are established, you don’t panic if things go wrong. That maturity comes with age”, said Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
