Visakhapatnam: Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin are in the twilight of their Test careers and Jasprit Bumrah Monday acknowledged that he is now the link between the old order and the new as Indian Test bowling enters a transition phase.
The 30-year-old is one of Indian cricket’s greatest ever match-winners and someone who has made it to India’s ‘Fab-Five’ list of pacers along with the legendary Kapil Dev, the fiery Javagal Srinath and the two artistic exponents of reverse swing in Zaheer Khan and Shami.
Being the second fastest Asian pacer to reach 150 wickets in his 34th game, Bumrah knows that he is the leader of the pack and has to guide the likes of Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan (in dug-out) at this juncture in Indian cricket.
“We’re going through a transition so I feel it’s my responsibility to help them in any way I can,” Bumrah, who got ‘Player of the Match’ for his nine-wicket haul in the 106-run win over England in the second Test here, said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
He has played very less Test cricket in India but has staggering statistics on pitches not traditionally conducive for fast bowling. In six Tests he has played in India, Bumrah has 29 wickets.
“As I said before, I don’t look at numbers. As a youngster, I did that and it made me excited. But now it’s an added baggage as you are already playing for India,” he said.
The in-swinging yorker that bamboozled an in-form Ollie Pope has been the talk of the town and Bumrah said, “As a youngster, that is the first delivery I learned (yorker).”
“I used to think that it is the only way to get wickets. I had seen the legends of the game. Waqar, Wasim, and even Zaheer Khan.”
He shares a nice rapport with his skipper Rohit Sharma, someone who has seen him as a 20-year-old in Mumbai Indians.
“We discuss certain things. I have been playing with him for a long period of time (Rohit).”
Bumrah paid tribute to England veteran James Anderson and insisted that there is no competition as good fast bowling for him is always a nice spectacle.
“No not really. Before a cricketer, I’m a fast bowling fan. If somebody’s doing well, kudos to them. I look at the situation, at the wicket, and think what are my options. I should not be a one-trick pony.”
PTI