Bowling in ODIs for the first time since returning from a back injury, he gave Pakistan’s top order a complete nightmare.
Siddharth Monga
Watch – Bumrah Jaffa dismisses Imam at second slip
there was nothing the batsman could do
It took so long to arrive that you almost forgot how important a spell this was to the game.
Jasprit Bumrah is slowly making a comeback from a back injury. First T20 in Ireland, then ODI in Asia Cup. Even during the Asia Cup, India did not get a chance to bowl in the first match against Pakistan, which was canceled due to rain. Bumrah then walked out during his second game for the birth of his first child and was subjected to an unhealthy amount of weather monitoring in the third match.
By the time Bumrah finally started bowling in the ODIs, all the attention had focused on the dazzling Indian batting and injuries to Pakistan’s fast bowlers.
Perhaps even more important than KL Rahul’s impressive return from injury was the return of Bumrah to the fast bowling attack, which is good but doesn’t make a difference. It was clear how much India had to struggle in his absence in the T20 World Cup last year. They were keen to bring him back for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
It soon became clear why. On a pitch where it was raining, under the lights, Bumrah gave Pakistan’s top order a complete nightmare. The ball was seaming off the surface and Bumrah got twice as many swings with the new ball as any other bowler in this competition.
In the spell of five overs, Bumrah got the wrong answer 17 times. Only one of them took a wicket but it was a masterclass in how to build towards the wicket. For both the left-handed openers, Bumrah started from the top of the wicket and continued to seam the ball. He tried a full ball that would swing back, but it did not do much until he was happy with his rhythm.
Bumrah’s next step towards getting closer to the edge was to move around the wicket, allowing the batsman to play the angle, but he only did this when he was confident that he had found his length. Still he managed to go beyond the shore.
In his third over, Bumrah edged Fuller bit by bit, and finally pulled the edge to second slip. While doing so he still maintained that his overall length was not enough to drive. That is the difference between Bumrah and the rest.
Younger bowlers don’t strive for that kind of perfection. He bowls the odd half volley in search of wickets. Bumrah is unique in terms of his length. He wants to get the edge but all he wants to achieve is the edge and not the drive. That driving length never came.
Thanks to Kuldeep Yadav’s five-wicket haul, Bumrah did not need to bowl again, giving him time to recover for a second consecutive day on the field as India face Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
Captain Rohit Sharma was extremely happy with the return of the leader of his bowling attack. In the presentation after the match, Rohit said, “Bumrah was looking good.” “We all saw it. Turned the ball both ways. Really worked hard in the last 8-15 months. I know how tough it is for someone who goes through an injury like that. Bumrah is only 27 are years old [29], As for his comeback… the way he bowled, he showed what Bumrah is. It’s good to see him in that rhythm.”
Some time ago India were not sure about the composition of their World Cup team as many of their players were injured, but now things are falling into place. Now, Bumrah, Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are back, and Ishan Kishan has also presented himself as a viable middle-order option as the only left-handed batsman in the top six.
This question will be answered as to how much Bumrah supports this performance, when India will face Sri Lanka for the third consecutive day on the field.
Siddharth Monga is assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
