The spell in Johannesburg in 2018 that injected belief to script a miracle win. The hat-trick at Sabina Park in 2019 vs West Indies. Bowling dry for 27 overs at the MCG in 2020 in the second innings when the Aussies were building a lead to allow Ravindra Jadeja to attack from the other end after bagging a four-for in the first innings.
We are so used to Jasprit Bumrah doing his stuff, bowling dots after dots in the IPL for Mumbai Indians or for India in whiteball cricket where he bowls at all stages, that we sometimes forget that he is a generational talent as a Test bowler too.
Legendary names like Michael Holding have had doubts over his skill sets in the longer format and his ability to bowl the outswinger. Holding also had doubts over his fitness and how much his action would take a toll on his body. In 2018, it was expressed that he won’t be an automatic choice in England. It’s been almost exactly six years since Jasprit Bumrah made his Test debut at Newlands in Cape Town (Jan 5, 2018) and since those doubts were expressed.
Despite career-threatening injuries and a back surgery, he has managed to be both a strike force and a mentor to the young pacers in the side. Back in Cape Town on Thursday and knowing that in search of swing, he had probably bowled a touch too full on Day One when Mohammed Siraj hit the ideal length, he decided to forget he was Bumrah and chose to be Glenn McGrath.
‘Channel bowling’, a term that is often used by coaches and commentators to describe metronomic accuracy, is under-rated in today’s fast-paced cricket where every ball needs to be an event. It is basically boring bowling, on fourth stump at a length, just short of driving length. Before play started on Day Two, cameras showed Bumrah, the vice-captain, engaged in a long conversation with his captain. It surely was about the lengths that were needed. He bowled a perfect length to bag 6-61 and play a big part in India scripting a famous win.
In a snap interview with the broadcasters before play began, Bumrah said, “I made my Test debut here, so this ground will always be special. I love playing Test cricket. If we do things right, the result will be in our favour. We have a lot of belief in our bowling lineup.” You only need to ask the captains he has played under about Bumrah’s value, and how much of an impact he has had in India’s away Test wins since 2018.
Even when he missed the Gabba Test in 2021 due to injury, he was there in the dressing room guiding Siraj. In a country whose fans are obsessed with batting feats, maybe we need to celebrate Bumrah a bit more.
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