Irfan Pathan commends Jasprit Bumrah for choosing Test cricket post-back surgery. He confesses that the long format thrives if each squad supports a devoted bowler such as he is.
This past two-match series between South Africa and India was Bumrah’s first appearance in the longest format since his return from surgery. With 12 scalps under his belt, the unusual seamer emerged as both teams’ top wicket-taker.
In an interview with “Follow the Blues,” Irfan Pathan on Star Sports called Bumrah an inspiration to the whole cricket community. He thought to himself:
“I have fallen in love with Jasprit Bumrah’s attitude, especially the way he has bowled after back surgery. He is not only an inspiration for Indian cricket but also for world cricket.”
Irfan Pathan
The former India all-rounder added:
“If you are prioritizing red-ball cricket even after surgery, you won’t get a bigger brand ambassador than him in bowling. If every country gets a bowler like Jasprit Bumrah, Test cricket will keep flourishing.”
Irfan Pathan
In Centurion’s inaugural Test match, Bumrah claimed four wickets in South Africa’s lone innings. Despite appearing to be below par and taking just two wickets in the Proteas’ opening innings of the second Test at Cape Town, he recovered to post figures of 6/61 in the second essay, aiding the visitors in bowling out the hosts for 176.
“He wants to make himself a better cricketer every day” – Sunil Gavaskar on Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah received praise from Sunil Gavaskar for his desire to learn new things. He declared:
“I don’t know Bumrah as a person but as a cricketer, he wants to make himself a better cricketer every day. It’s difficult to bowl outswing with his action but the way he is bowling outswing now, how much effort he would have put in. He has the slower bouncer as well.”
Sunil Gavaskar
The former captain of India went on to say that Bumrah has also demonstrated application with the willow. He noted:
“He shows very good application in batting as well. He went as a nightwatchman in Australia. Then I had jokingly said that he would tell his grandchildren going forward that he batted at No. 3 for India. He can bat well going forward. We saw him making the fastest fifty (most runs in an over) in England.”
Sunil Gavaskar
In closing, Gavaskar emphasized that Bumrah is a whole team player. He commended the seamer for mentoring his relatively inexperienced bowling teammates, which Mohammed Siraj also mentioned during the post-match presentation of the second Test.
