NEW DELHI: Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has shed light on his conversation with Steve Smith during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, specifically focusing on the challenges posed by Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
Bumrah was a dominant force in the series, claiming 32 wickets at an extraordinary average of 13.06 in nine innings and dismissing Smith three times, including a golden duck in the opening Test in Perth.
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Speaking on 7cricket, Ponting revealed that Smith, renowned for his ability to counter fast bowlers, found Bumrah particularly difficult to handle due to his unique bowling style. "I had a chance to talk to Aussies on what makes it so difficult. I've been seeing him for a long time - I captained him in the IPL when he first came into the scene as a 17-year-old," Ponting said.
Recalling his chat with Smith, Ponting explained, "Steve has a good method of working fast bowlers out, in fact any bowler. He said that he finds Bumrah’s visual cues a bit hard to pick up and that it can take four, five, or six balls to adjust. Sometimes, you could be out by then."
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Ponting emphasized the difficulty of facing Bumrah on challenging pitches, where errors can be costly. "If you didn’t get things right by that stage when you’re facing Bumrah on a challenging surface, your game could be over pretty quickly," he added.
The series will undoubtedly be remembered as one where Bumrah reaffirmed his position as one of the most formidable fast bowlers in world cricket, leaving even the best in the game struggling to find answers.
