Jasprit Bumrah took 2 for 40 in 10 overs on debut during the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). In a series where the batsmen have dominated the bowlers have rarely come out on top, so much so that there were as many as 11 centuries in five matches but just one five-wicket haul. Even that one fifer — Kane Richardson’s 5 for 68 — was largely because of the inexplicable Indian meltdown. In the midst of all this John Hastings has been the only bowler on either side who has managed to enhance his reputation. Full Cricket Scorecard: India vs Australia 2015-16, 5th ODI at Sydney
Hastings not only took periodic wickets but kept the runs down as well, ending with 10 wickets and an economy rate of 5.65. Ishant Sharma too was among the wickets, but went at well over six runs per over. He finished with 9 wickets at an economy rate of 6.25, while Umesh Yadav — the third-highest wicket-taker of the series — went at as many as 7.21 runs an over and took 7 wickets. Barring Hastings, Ravindra Jadeja, Josh Hazlewood, Joel Paris, and Glenn Maxwell, every other bowler who sent down an over had economy rates of well over six. READ: India must look to the past in order to secure their future
And then came Bumrah, a 22-year old with an inexplicably straight arm and a whippy bowling action. He is not an unknown quantity, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen to that. Anyone who follows the tournament closely would remember Bumrah’s IPL debut. Playing for Mumbai Indians (MI) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Bumrah was hit for three boundaries by Virat Kohli off the first four balls he bowled in IPL. Most youngsters would have gone to pieces, but Bumrah came back brilliantly to get rid of Kohli, and followed up with the wickets of Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair. He finished with 3 for 32 in 4 overs on IPL debut. READ: India vs Australia 2015-16, 5th ODI at Sydney: Highlights
A lot has changed since then for Bumrah. He has become a regular part of the Gujarat side in all three formats. He enjoys an impressive record, averaging around 25 in First-Class and a mere 18.73 in List A cricket. He showed against Australia that he is more than capable of holding his own in tough conditions and against good batting. His domestic numbers back that up. The bowling action that seems so strange to so many has received praise from no less a fast bowler than Glenn McGrath.
What immediately stood out about Bumrah was the pace and discipline with which he bowled. He frequently hurried batsmen of the calibre of David Warner and Steven Smith, and went past the edge more than once. He rarely bowled a loose ball, did not offer too many half-volleys, and conceded just one four and six respectively. He conceded only 12 runs in his last two overs, which were the 45th and 49th overs of the innings respectively. The yorker with which he bowled James Faulkner would have got anyone in the world out.
Bumrah’s accuracy and ability to bowl yorkers at will is an encouraging sign for India. Their seasoned veterans like Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have struggled to keep the runs down in recent times, but the debutant did what none of his seniors could: bowl full and straight. Bumrah will get a few chances to prove himself in the T20Is against Australia. If he manages to give as good an account of himself as he did at the SCG, India could finally have a bowler who can keep the runs down at the death. That is a luxury India have not had in years.
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)
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