Jasprit Bumrah’s maturity and his ability to learn quickly have made him one of the finest pacers going around, according to Munaf Patel.
The World Cup-winning former fast bowler said he was not surprised to see a ‘thinking bowler’ like Bumrah find success with the red ball in home conditions, likening the Mumbai Indians pacer to his former teammate, Zaheer Khan.
Initially labelled as a white-ball specialist, Jasprit Bumrah proved his naysayers wrong with a sensational show in his maiden Test series in South Africa in 2018. It did not take long for Bumrah to script a successful chapter in Test cricket as he inspired India to quite a few famous victories in South Africa, Australia, and England.
Bumrah played 17 Tests overseas before making his home debut in Chennai in 2021. The fast bowler exceeded expectations at home as he had an even more threatening impact in subcontinent conditions. Bumrah’s ability to use reverse swing to good effect with the old ball was evident with the way he tormented England in the 2nd Test of the ongoing 5-match series in Visakhapatnam.
wickets in 3 matches against England in the series, out-bowling the spin twins of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. The pacer has an average of 14.54 across 7 Tests in India with 31 wickets, which includes two five-wicket hauls.
“As a bowler, a lot of your success after the initial impact depends on how much you improve. Look the way Bumrah has evolved from the start of his career to becoming the No.
1 Test bowler, he is a quick learner. He doesn’t take a lot of time to improve on a particular skill or area. It’s much like off-spinner R Ashwin. Whenever you see him at the start of a new series, you will see the difference with an added skill or variation. Bumrah’s fitness is also good,” Munaf Patel, who is leading Chattisgarh Warriors in the inaugural edition of the Indian Veteran Premier League in Greater Noida, told IndiaToday.in.