NEW DELHI: The slower ball just before lunch at the MCG to dismiss Shaun Marsh in 2018. The slower one to send back Ollie Robinson from round the wicket in the dying minutes of the Lord’s Test in 2021 to break a stubborn stand and conjure a win. The searing inswinging yorkers to polish off Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow and break open the Test match at the Oval in 2021 after lunch on Day Five.
The spell in Johannesburg in 2018 that injected belief to script a miracle win. The hat-trick at Sabina Park in 2019 vs West Indies. Bowling dry for 27 overs at the MCG in 2020 in the second innings when the Aussies were building a lead to allow Ravindra Jadeja to attack from the other end after bagging a four-for in the first innings.
We are so used to Jasprit Bumrah doing his stuff, bowling dots after dots in the IPL for Mumbai Indians or for India in whiteball cricket where he bowls at all stages, that we sometimes forget that he is a generational talent as a Test bowler too.
Legendary names like Michael Holding have had doubts over his skill sets in the longer format and his ability to bowl the outswinger. Holding also had doubts over his fitness and how much his action would take a toll on his body. In 2018, it was expressed that he won’t be an automatic choice in England. It’s been almost exactly six years since Jasprit Bumrah made his Test debut at Newlands in Cape Town (Jan 5, 2018) and since those doubts were expressed.
Despite career-threatening injuries and a back surgery, he has managed to be both a strike force and a mentor to the young pacers in the side. Back in Cape Town on Thursday and knowing that in search of swing, he had probably bowled a touch too full on Day One when Mohammed Siraj hit the ideal length, he decided to forget he was Bumrah and chose to be Glenn McGrath.
‘Channel bowling’, a term that is often used by coaches and commentators to describe metronomic accuracy, is under-rated in today’s fast-paced cricket where every ball needs to be an event. It is basically boring bowling, on fourth stump at a length, just short of driving length. Before play started on Day Two, cameras showed Bumrah, the vice-captain, engaged in a long conversation with his captain. It surely was about the lengths that were needed. He bowled a perfect length to bag 6-61 and play a big part in India scripting a famous win.
1/10:Bumrah bamboozles Proteas as India record historic victory in Cape Town
PTI
2/10:Series-levelling victory for India
<p>Jasprit Bumrah, India's priceless fast bowling mean machine, produced a hostile spell in Cape Town to guide India to a series-levelling seven-wicket victory against South Africa in the shortest game ever played in Test history.<br /></p>Reuters
3/10:'Menacing' Bumrah
<p>Bumrah (6/61 in 13.5 overs), the master practitioner of fast bowling, knocked the stuffing out of South Africa's middle-order in a menacing morning spell.<br /></p>Getty Images
4/10:'Belligerent' century by Markram
<p>Aiden Markram (106 off 103 balls) fought like a lone ranger on a burning deck to take South Africa to 176 in 36.5 overs at the stroke of lunch on Day 2.<br /></p>Getty Images
5/10:Skipper Rohit takes India home
<p>A target of 79 even on the toughest of tracks wasn't exactly a tall order and young Yashasvi Jaiswal (28) threw his bat around before skipper Rohit Sharma (16 not out) completed the formalities in the company of Shreyas Iyer (4 not out off 6) in just 12 overs.<br /></p>PTI
6/10:India register first victory at Newlands
<p>This was India's first victory at Newlands in seven attempts and one that would be remembered for the hostility exhibited by two Indian fast bowlers – Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who produced a career-best six-wicket haul to bowl out South Africa for 55 in the first innings.<br /></p>PTI
7/10:Rohit second skipper after Dhoni to draw a series in SA
<p>The series-levelling win gave Rohit the bragging rights of being only the second skipper after MS Dhoni (2010-11) to draw a series in the ‘Rainbow Nation'. However, South Africa remains an unconquered territory for India, who have not been able to win a Test series in the country.<br /></p>Getty Images
8/10:Shortest completed game ever in the history of Tests!
<p>It was the shortest Test match ever in terms of overs bowled, bettering the previous best that involved Australia and SA at the MCG way back in 1932. A total of 107 overs were bowled in this match while 109.2 overs were bowled in that 1932-match which Australia won. <br /></p>Reuters
9/10:Good move to bring in Mukesh in place of Shardul
<p>Playing Mukesh Kumar (4 wickets) in place of Shardul Thakur was a good move and also making the bowlers realise the ideal length to bowl after the goof up in Centurion.<br /></p>Getty Images
10/10:Markram hits 17 fours and two sixes in his century knock
<p>Sensing that he could soon run out of partners, Markram started attacking the inexperienced Mukesh Kumar (2/56 in 10 overs) and the ever-profligate Prasidh Krishna (1/27 in 4 overs). Markram found it easy to muscle the balls through the gaps as he hit 17 fours and two mighty sixes off Prasidh.<br /></p>PTIIn a snap interview with the broadcasters before play began, Bumrah said, “I made my Test debut here, so this ground will always be special. I love playing Test cricket. If we do things right, the result will be in our favour. We have a lot of belief in our bowling lineup.” You only need to ask the captains he has played under about Bumrah’s value, and how much of an impact he has had in India’s away Test wins since 2018.
Even when he missed the Gabba Test in 2021 due to injury, he was there in the dressing room guiding Siraj. In a country whose fans are obsessed with batting feats, maybe we need to celebrate Bumrah a bit more.
