For a bloke who started his career as an IPL player - a T20 specialist - Jasprit Bumrah has been a revelation as a Test bowler. Ever since he made his debut in South Africa, the right-arm pacer has become a regular force with the red ball.
On day 3 of the ongoing Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Bumrah was in full flow. India needed their bowlers to shine and they did not respond. Ishant Sharma got things rolling with the wicket of Aaron Finch, but the day belonged to the man from Gujarat.
He was fast, nasty, and forever relentless on a surface which did not have much assistance for the Australian fast bowlers on the first two days.
Bumrah was in the groove
Bumrah got the wicket of Marcus Harris with a bumper and then bamboozled Shaun Marsh with a slower ball. He castled Travis Head with a quick ball angled in and then took care of Tim Paine, and the tail with some quality bowling. He ended with figures of 6 for 33, which was his best figures in Test matches.
Also, along the way, he toppled several records. Bumrah became the first Asian bowler to take a five-for in each South Africa, England and Australia in the same calendar year in Tests.
Bumrah also surpassed Dileep Doshi to take the top spot in the list of most wickets taken by an Indian bowler in his debut calendar year. He has picked up 41 wickets so far this year and moved past Doshi who claimed 40 wickets back 1979.
He has only grown leaps and bounds this year and has drawn plenty of accolades from greats.
"He jogs and then bowls with a very short run. He has got straight arms. His bowling is not textbook by any means, but it works. He is very different from other pace bowlers, which reminds me of another fast bowler of my era, who was very different from everyone else - Jeff Thomson," iconic pacer Dennis Lillee had said before the Boxing day Test match.
