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Ra! Raa!! BUMRAH!!! The speedster that became the most feared among batters the world over

Regardless of the circumstances in which Australia ended their decade-long separation from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Jasprit Bumrah provided a reminder of just how unhinging and psychologically scarring fast bowling could be

Jasprit Bumrah of India celebrates after dismissing Marnus Labuschagne of Australia during day two of the Fifth Men's Test Match in the series between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 04, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images

Indranil Majumdar
Published 12.01.25, 07:20 AM

Bumrah-ed. Session after session, day after day, Test after Test, Australia’s top order was pitted against a one-man Indian attack in the five-match series.

Regardless of the circumstances in which Australia ended their decade-long separation from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Jasprit Bumrah provided a reminder of just how unhinging and psychologically scarring fast bowling could be.

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Even victories in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney couldn’t conceal the mental pockmarks he inflicted on the Australian batters. Pat Cummins’ men had to search inside themselves and summon up the courage to counter Bumrah’s challenge. In the words of Usman Khawaja, “It was friggin’ tough work” to “score off and get off strike”.

A day before the day-night Test, Khawaja, the Australian opener, had tried to restore confidence in their ranks with a sensible narration. The plaudits for Jasprit Bumrah were still ringing fresh in their ears after having been steamrolled in the opener in Perth, but Khawaja had tried to profess that he could be handled.

Yes, Bumrah’s a fine bowler but “like all bowlers he could be played”, Khawaja proclaimed. “He was, after all, a bowler.”

Within a month, his verdict changed as Bumrah penetrated the most impregnable defence and confounded the most well-laid plans.

“I just never felt like I could score off him. It just felt so hard... To be honest, I was just getting Bumrah-ed,” Khawaja admitted after their 3-1 series victory.

Bumrah finished the five-match series as the highest wicket-taker, 32 scalps at an average of 13.06 and a strike rate of 28.3. All this after failing to bowl in the second innings of a decisive Test in Sydney because of back spasms.

Keeping Bumrah aside, the other Indian seamers claimed 40 wickets at an average of 34.82, striking every 52.65 balls during the series. His absence was intensely felt in the fourth innings of the final Test as Australia escaped to victory.

The only bowler in Test history with 200 wickets at an average below 20 with a strike rate of a wicket every 42 balls, Bumrah was much celebrated across all barriers because of his skills and resolve.

Two days ahead of the final Test in Sydney, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese toyed with the idea of a legislation to stymie the rapid strides made by Bumrah into the heart of Australia’s batting.

It was all in good jest at Kirribilli House, one of Sydney’s most famous locations, during the traditional New Year’s reception hosted for the two teams.

“We could pass a law here that says he has to bowl left-handed or off one step,” Albanese was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.

What makes Bumrah so lethal? Why do batters have to search inside themselves and summon the courage to counter him?

Someone of Steve Smith’s class finds Bumrah’s visual cues harder to pick than most other bowlers’ because of his unconventional action. He tiptoes from a stuttering run-up before picking up speed and hurling the ball around 150-plus kmph.

It always takes a few balls to read him but by then Bumrah might just have delivered the knockout punch. It did get very challenging on tricky surfaces with the new Kookaburra ball as the Australians found out in Melbourne and Sydney.

He left Australia scarred with a spell of hostile and brutal fast bowling. Jeff Thomson’s 33 wickets in nine innings and Mitchell Johnson’s 37 in 10 in the 1974-75 and 2013-14 Ashes, respectively, left an indelible mark on the psyche of the batters. Bumrah’s exploits will be spoken of in the same breath as the Australian batters will testify.

“You never want to see anyone injured and it’s a shame he was, but thank God for us... It would have been an absolute nightmare facing him on that wicket,” Khawaja said after Australia knocked off the 162-run chase in Sydney.

It was clear that without Bumrah, India would never be in the contest. They squeezed everything they could out of their inspirational quick only to be left in the doldrums on what turned out to be a fateful final day.

“Bumrah to me is class, there is no doubt about it,” said former Australian pace spearhead Glenn McGrath. “He’s unique. He’s... just absolutely incredible.”
Not since Shane Warne admitted to having nightmares against Sachin Tendulkar had any Australian cricketer spoken of such a damning on-field experience in international cricket. But Bumrah made them relive such memories with remarkable spells in every session. As rites of passages go, it was about as tough as it gets.

“He’s been their most influential player and he’s made it difficult for us at times,” Australian captain Pat Cummins recounted.

Test cricket needed Bumrah, batters hopping around, taking balls on the chest and body, a panoramic cordon of six fielders in close proximity behind the wicket, near enough to smell fear. It made for a thrilling experience with spectators beguiled into his full range of skills along with the enchanting sight of a fast bowler steaming in.

Having a Bumrah in the team can work to a captain’s advantage, but sometimes it can be less so. There is always the risk of over-bowling him when wickets are sparse.

The fast bowler had to plead with Rohit Sharma during the second innings in Melbourne, “bas ab... nahi lag raha hai zor (have to stop it... don’t have the energy to continue)”?

He had been phenomenal in that Boxing Day Test with nine wickets and almost turned the game on its head before paying for his workload in the final match. With 141.2 overs ahead of the final Test, Bumrah certainly needed more than the three rest days allotted between the two fixtures. Ten overs in the first innings were enough to spur him into a breaking point in Sydney.

His fitness has always been a concern because of his open-chested, front-on action and zero momentum in his run-up. The amount of load his back takes at the point of release makes him susceptible to injuries.

Bumrah has played in the fifth Test of a series on three previous occasions but has never got through five matches in a row. It didn’t happen this time either.

There’s already talk that Bumrah shouldn’t be overburdened with leadership since it could mean shortening his career. But Sunil Gavaskar thinks he “has the air of a leader”.

At 31, captaincy could propel his ambitions further. His handling of the bowlers has already drawn much fanfare with the team looking sharper and his individual performance too has often reached exalted standards.

Much like Baz-ball, which describes England’s aggressive style, Bumrah-ed could soon be added to cricketing parlance to notify the sheer tactical brilliance of the fast bowler.

With time, he’s sure to play more havoc.

Jasprit Bumrah Border-Gavaskar Trophy India Vs Australia Test Cricket Fast Bowlers
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