What makes Jasprit Bumrah such a dangerous bowler in world cricket today? There seems to be no debate over the fact that he is the best strike bowler in the world right now. He has all the qualities of a legend and only another legend like 1983 World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev who can unravel the enigma called Bumrah.
“Bumrah might be bowling at 140 km/hr but when the batter is actually facing him, it is nearly 150 km/hr. This is possible because he releases the ball late and the batters get little less time to adjust when the ball is released so late. Eventually, it becomes 150 km/hr because the reaction of the batters will have to be that quick to negotiate someone like him,” Kapil told CricBlogger during a tete-tete in his office in the national Capital.
“Even I had a top-arm release but if you look at Bumrah, he releases the ball quite late and that makes it difficult for the batters to negotiate him,” Kapil observed.
Bumrah’s unique and unconventional bowling action sets him apart from other bowlers. His slinging action generates significant pace and bounce, making it even more challenging for batters to pick up his deliveries early. “He has an unusual action and his effectiveness comes from it. He is remarkably accurate and possesses a wide range of deliveries like he can bowl deadly yorkers at the death overs, sharp bouncers to surprise batters, and accurate slower balls to deceive them,” he said.
Besides, Kapil says Bumrah’s wicket-taking abilities makes him the best strike bowler in the world. Even his ability to bowl under pressure and perform for his team, calm demeanor, ability to adjust to different conditions with pin-point accuracy and much improved fitness ethics make Bumrah the champion that he is.
“Wasim Akram and Waqar Younus were very aggressive when they bowled but Bumrah is a genuine wicket-taker,” a delighted Kapil said while mentioning the ferociousness of some of the West Indies giants like Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall.
“Even when I bowled my non-bowling arm used to be so loose but the one I found to be very tight bowling technique was Richard Hadlee of New Zealand,” Kapil reminisced.
“My time with the game is over. But when you see some of the current players who are able to create an impact for India doing well at all levels, there isn’t a more pleasing sight than that. You should always look to enjoy your game,” Kapil said while reminding us that Bumrah is one of those who won’t waste time on anything that he isn’t enjoying at all.