NEW DELHI: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has lauded Jasprit Bumrah's unwavering commitment to Test cricket, emphasizing the pacer's desire to break away from the stereotype of being labelled as a "white-ball specialist."
In an exclusive interview with 'The Times', recalling their initial conversation, Shastri reminisced, "I remember my first call to him, it was in Kolkata. I asked him would he be interested in Test cricket. He said that would be the biggest day of his life."
"He was labelled as a white-ball cricketer without asking him. But I knew. I wanted to see how hungry he was. I told him to get ready, be prepared. I told him I was going to unleash him in South Africa," Shastri said.
Despite Bumrah's remarkable success in white-ball cricket, Shastri emphasized the significance of Test cricket, noting, "They will always remember your numbers in Test cricket."
1/10:The meteoric rise of Jasprit Bumrah 2.0
PTI
2/10:Jasprit Bumrah
<p>Jasprit Bumrah seems to be the out of syllabus puzzle in an equal contest as the pacer has taken pitch out of the equation on his return from injury, leaving rival batters stumped and experts raving. </p>IANS
3/10:Unorthodox slinging action
<p>When the wiry pacer burst into the scene in 2015, he was touted as the next Malinga. Given his unorthodox slinging action from a short run-up which created a lot of pressure on his shoulder and back. </p>Getty Images
4/10:India in SENA countries
<p>Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri decided to use him in Tests abroad, a decision that went a long way in India becoming a feared touring teams in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia. </p>Getty Images
5/10:The injury
<p>The popular notion was that a breakdown was not too far away and the inevitable did happen. Bumrah had a back stress fracture which kept him out of cricket for almost a year in 2022-23. </p>TNN
6/10:Bumrah 2.0
<p>On his return, Bumrah once again proved he is one of a kind. In four Tests he's played since his return, Bumrah's average reads 11.66! </p>IANS
7/10:Ridiculous average!
<p>Bumrah has only played six Test matches in India, but his average at home on pitches which are not conducive for pace bowling is a ridiculous 13.6. </p>PTI
8/10:The greatest ever?
<p>Compare this to other Indian greats - Kapil Dev (26.49) and Zaheer Khan (35.87) - and you know what we're talking about. </p>AFP
9/10:Incredibly special spell
<p>On a beautiful batting pitch in Vizag, the spell that Bumrah produced in the second session of second day's play was incredibly special. </p>PTI
10/10:Greatest spell of pace bowling
<p>Bumrah removed the classy Joe Root, in-form Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow and the spell was at par with some of the greatest spells of pace bowling that have been bowled in India in the last 40 years. </p>ReutersReflecting on Bumrah's recent exploits, Shastri hailed his exceptional performance in the Vizag Test, stating, "He's so excited to be playing and doing well in Test cricket."
Bumrah's achievement as the fastest Indian bowler to reach 150 Test wickets further underscored his commitment to excel in the traditional format.
Shastri's admiration for Bumrah's journey from being labelled a white-ball specialist to becoming the top-ranked Test bowler underscores the importance of embracing challenges in cricket's pinnacle format.
(With inputs from PTI)
