Jasprit Bumrah was a pivotal figure in India’s historic 2018-19 Test series victory in Australia, the first of its kind in the nation’s cricketing history. Led by Virat Kohli, India achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the first Asian team to defeat Australia on their home turf.
Jasprit Bumrah had an outstanding Test series, taking 21 wickets in four matches, including a career-best 6/33 in India’s victory in Melbourne. His nine-wicket haul earned him Player of the Match honors, as India defeated Australia by 137 runs to take a 2-1 series lead. Bumrah’s performance was a major factor in India’s success.
However, the next Test was in Sydney and fielding coach R Sridhar reveals in his book ‘Coaching Beyond’ that Jasprit Bumrah approached then-bowling coach Bharat Arun and confided in him that he was feeling fatigued both physically and mentally. Knowing that the pitch was docile, Bumrah wanted to take it easy and bowl at a slower pace in order to conserve his energy.
‘Sir,’ he started, slightly hesitantly, ‘The wicket is absolutely placid, and there is nothing in it for the faster bowlers’. One of Arun’s many strengths is his willingness to listen. He knew Bumrah wanted to tell him something but was unsure how to go about it. But instead of forcing his hand, Arun allowed things to play out naturally. Bumrah, of course, had been the star of India’s win in the previous Test; he had been our best bowler throughout the series, as a matter of fact,” Sridhar wrote in his book.
He then came up about his physical and mental status which was concerning the fast bowler.
“I am very jaded, Sir, physically exhausted and mentally drained,’ he went on. ‘That’s where I am at, personally. There’s nothing at stake so far as the series is concerned. The track is docile. It’s more or less certain that this game will end in a draw?’ After this elaborate build-up, the coin finally dropped. ‘So what I will do, Sir, is I’ll bowl a little slowly. I won’t go flat out. I’ll bowl well within myself and take out this Test ”.
Jasprit Bumrah is one of the most formidable weapons in the Indian cricket team’s arsenal. He has consistently pushed himself to the limit, even at the cost of his own health, suffering injuries on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, Bumrah has been ruled out of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to a lingering injury sustained last year. However, he is expected to make a return in time for the ICC ODI World Cup later this year, where his presence will be a major boon for the Indian team.
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