Jasprit Bumrah has not been having a great year so far. After he missed as many as four series across all formats of the game while he recovered from a stress fracture in his back. He returned against New Zealand where he claimed six wickets in five T20I matches against the Kiwis. But the bowler faced harsh criticism after he went wicketless during the three-match ODI series, followed by just one wicket in Wellington during the first Test against New Zealand.
Bumrah’s struggles in a T20 World Cup year followed by the Test series in Australia is a matter of concern, but Australian bowling legend Glenn McGrath still supports him. He said that a fast bowler should always have a clear understanding of himself, rather than feeling the burden of expectations.
“India have got a quality batting and bowling attack. (Jasprit) Bumrah, I am a big fan of him at Test level. He has been amazing at the shorter versions of the game too. I was surprised to see him so far down the order in the rankings, he has been injured a little bit of late,” McGrath told reporters.
“Bumrah is unique. The way he goes about it—short run-up, powers through the crease, can swing the ball, good control and good pace—(even in) second or third spell. I do not have any issues with Bumrah. He is coming back from injury. Sometimes it takes a little while for you to get back in.”
“A lot of time when you have had success, you want to come back in here [signalling high with his hand] but after coming in at the start of the season or after an injury, you do not come in there. You come in here [signalling lower with his hand] and you got to work and build-up to get there (higher level).”
“It took me a few years to realise that, and by knowing that you give yourself time to get in, you go through your processes and concentrate on what you are looking to do. If you think you should be up here, but you are down there, that plays with your confidence. And if you lose confidence, it affects the rest of your game. Bumrah just needs a bit more bowling, bit of confidence in his body and if he has got that, it will not be long before he is back.”
