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Asia Cup offers Bumrah stage to prove a point
His workload management in England was questioned, but the fast bowler has always been India’s X factor
Mumbai: Jasprit Bumrah is the top gun in India’s armoury, to be used in high pressure, high stakes matches. One is not sure if the T20 Asia Cup falls in that category, but skipper Suryakumar Yadav is not complaining. The pace ace’s availability gives his attack a different dimension.
Some players help win matches, while bowlers like Bumrah leave their mark on big series and tournaments. Since his India debut in 2016 in Australia, Bumrah has been a match-winner. In that series of five ODIs and three T20s, the results didn’t go in India’s favour and they had lost the first four ODIs when Bumrah joined.
He was only expected to play in the T20 leg. But after not getting a flight to Adelaide, venue of the first T20I, he joined the ODI side in Sydney. As luck would have it, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s injury opened up a place and Dhoni blooded the rookie pacer in the fifth ODI. With Bumrah playing, India were a transformed outfit, winning all four games (1 ODI, 3 T20Is). It gave an early example of the difference he usually makes.
Bumrah’s impact was evident at the 2024 T20 World Cup, where his 15 wickets in eight games help take India to the title.
During the victory parade in Mumbai, Virat Kohli’s statement summed up the pacer’s contribution. “You know, what I’d like everyone to do is applaud a guy who brought us back into games again and again and again in this tournament. What he did in those last five overs, bowling two out of the last five overs, was phenomenal. A huge round of applause for Bumrah, please,” Kohli urged the fans during the felicitation at the Wankhede Stadium.
The Asia Cup will be Bumrah’s first T20I tournament since the World Cup held in the United States and the West Indies.
Such has been his performances since international debut that experts have run out of adjectives praising him.
Under scrutiny
However, this summer has been tough. It is the first time he came under scrutiny with some experts questioning his workload management after Bumrah played only three of the five Tests in England. If his body is not going to hold up to play the entire series, does he bring the same value to the side?
Always one who lets the ball do the talking, the Asia Cup is a stage for Bumrah to prove a point, and his value to the side. With four days between each of India’s league games – September 10, 14 and 19 – it should also help Bumrah to go all out.
Superb skills
His T20I record is superb – 89 wickets in 70 matches at a strike rate of 16.96 (econ 6.28). Having burst into the limelight in IPL playing for Mumbai Indians, he bowls the most important overs. If there is a low total to defend, the captain trusts him with the new ball for early breakthroughs. On flat pitches, he is called upon to bowl the slog overs. If the contest is at a 50-50 stage, he can bowl the penultimate over and build pressure for the 20th over. When needed to tighten things up midway, he can be used in the middle overs.
The best example was in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa. With SA needing 30 runs off 30 balls after plundering 38 off the previous two overs, Bumrah came back for his third over. He conceded just four runs in the 16th over, and two in the 18th while also removing Marco Jansen, helping India pull off a heist.
He is a bowler for any situation, with a bag of tricks – a deadly yorker, superb change of pace, a sharp bouncer and the hard lengths to tie down batters.
Dubai pitches
The pitches at the Dubai Stadium are expected to be to Bumrah’s liking. Bowling coach Morne Morkel said on Monday that the wickets are greener in September, compared to those at the venue for the Champions Trophy, which was held in February-March.
“When the Champions Trophy was played, there was a lot of cricket (already played) on the surfaces here and they looked a little bit tired,” the former SA fast bowler said.
Bumrah is a big match player. The big match in the Asia Cup is going to be against Pakistan. India face their arch-rivals for the first time since the retirement of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. He will be a calming influence in the dressing room.
