Dubbed as the bowler “impossible to face” by swashbuckling Australian batter Travis Head and a “cat burglar” by former tearaway pacer Brett Lee, Jasprit Bumrah’s reputation precedes him. The India pacer, who is set to captain India in the first Test of the five-match series starting here Friday, has left both past and present Australian players in awe of his skill and threat. Not since the golden era of the West Indies in the 1970s has a touring pace bowler struck fear into the hearts of Australians as much as Bumrah, according to the local media here. On his two previous Test tours of Australia, the 30-year-old Bumrah, who is set to captain India in the first Test of the five-match series here from Friday, took 32 wickets at an average of 21.25, including a match-winning 6/33 during the 2018 Boxing Day Test. Since the start of the 20th century, only two touring bowlers have taken more wickets in Australia at a lower average—Richard Hadlee and Curtly Ambrose. Head, Usman Khawaja, and Steven Smith—all top-order batters—who are set to face Bumrah in the marquee five-match series are unanimous about the pivotal role the Indian pace spearhead can play for India. “Impossible (to face). You try to feel like you’re one step ahead, but it always feels like he’s that next step,” Head told ‘Fox Cricket.’ “Any format of the game, he’s incredible. He’s their X-factor, he’s the guy they go to every time, and more often than not, he’s able to produce for them. “In big moments, you want big players, and I think he’s their biggest. You’ve got your work cut out as a batter. He’s someone that’s going to be difficult over summer.” Part of Bumrah’s magic is his signature bowling action, which defies cricket convention. “He (Bumrah) creeps in like a cat burglar,” pace legend Lee said in a lighter vein. Bumrah’s “awkward and weird” action made Khawaja wonder where the ball came from when he first faced the Indian. “When I first faced Bumrah, I was like, ‘Oh, where did that come from?’” Khawaja said. Target Kohli’s body: HealyLegendary Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy wants his country’s pace attack to employ every strategy, from targeting Virat Kohli’s front foot to “body bashing” him with short-pitched deliveries, to get the Indian stalwart out in the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy, beginning in Perth on Friday. The star Indian batter has been enduring a lean patch across all formats in recent months, with just two centuries and 11 fifties in his last 60 Test innings. However, despite these struggles, Kohli boasts an impressive average of 54.0 in Australia. Healy has urged the formidable Australian pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc to try and put Kohli on the back foot. Lyon’s got loads of respect for KohliVirat Kohli has been struggling for form of late, but veteran Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has nothing but respect for the Indian superstar, who he says is a champion you cannot write off. “Overall, look at his record. You don’t write off champions. I’ve got nothing but respect for Virat,” Lyon was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. “I want to get him out, there’s no point in hiding behind that, but it’s challenging. It’s been pretty amazing competing against him so many times.”
Dubbed as the bowler “impossible to face” by swashbuckling Australian batter Travis Head and a “cat burglar” by former tearaway pacer Brett Lee, Jasprit Bumrah’s reputation precedes him. The India pacer, who is set to captain India in the first Test of the five-match series starting here Friday, has left both past and present Australian players in awe of his skill and threat. Not since the golden era of the West Indies in the 1970s has a touring pace bowler struck fear into the hearts of Australians as much as Bumrah, according to the local media here. On his two previous Test tours of Australia, the 30-year-old Bumrah, who is set to captain India in the first Test of the five-match series here from Friday, took 32 wickets at an average of 21.25, including a match-winning 6/33 during the 2018 Boxing Day Test. Since the start of the 20th century, only two touring bowlers have taken more wickets in Australia at a lower average—Richard Hadlee and Curtly Ambrose. Head, Usman Khawaja, and Steven Smith—all top-order batters—who are set to face Bumrah in the marquee five-match series are unanimous about the pivotal role the Indian pace spearhead can play for India. “Impossible (to face). You try to feel like you’re one step ahead, but it always feels like he’s that next step,” Head told ‘Fox Cricket.’ “Any format of the game, he’s incredible. He’s their X-factor, he’s the guy they go to every time, and more often than not, he’s able to produce for them. “In big moments, you want big players, and I think he’s their biggest. You’ve got your work cut out as a batter. He’s someone that’s going to be difficult over summer.” Part of Bumrah’s magic is his signature bowling action, which defies cricket convention. “He (Bumrah) creeps in like a cat burglar,” pace legend Lee said in a lighter vein. Bumrah’s “awkward and weird” action made Khawaja wonder where the ball came from when he first faced the Indian. “When I first faced Bumrah, I was like, ‘Oh, where did that come from?’” Khawaja said. Target Kohli’s body: HealyLegendary Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy wants his country’s pace attack to employ every strategy, from targeting Virat Kohli’s front foot to “body bashing” him with short-pitched deliveries, to get the Indian stalwart out in the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy, beginning in Perth on Friday. The star Indian batter has been enduring a lean patch across all formats in recent months, with just two centuries and 11 fifties in his last 60 Test innings. However, despite these struggles, Kohli boasts an impressive average of 54.0 in Australia. Healy has urged the formidable Australian pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc to try and put Kohli on the back foot. Lyon’s got loads of respect for KohliVirat Kohli has been struggling for form of late, but veteran Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has nothing but respect for the Indian superstar, who he says is a champion you cannot write off. “Overall, look at his record. You don’t write off champions. I’ve got nothing but respect for Virat,” Lyon was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. “I want to get him out, there’s no point in hiding behind that, but it’s challenging. It’s been pretty amazing competing against him so many times.”
