CHENNAI: “The comeback is always greater than the setback”. That’s the caption of a photo which Jasprit Bumrah had posted early on Monday on his Instagram account. Hands held out in celebration, the picture popped up with those words, only a few hours after he’d claimed his maiden ODI five-for, in Pallekele.
In a moment that would generally elicit exultation, why express what can ostensibly be termed as contentment that comes after crossing a hurdle? The answer, perhaps, lies in another picture which is dated June 23, five days after the Champions Trophy final against Pakistan.
A no-ball from Bumrah gave Fakhar Zaman a reprieve, and Pakistan rode on the latter’s eventual ton to lift the title. Harsh memes and tweets ensued. The Jaipur Traffic Police went to the extent of turning that moment into a billboard!
Hence, the second picture — one of that particular hoarding — was captioned: “This shows how much respect you get after giving your best. But don’t worry, I won’t make fun of your mistakes. I believe that humans make mistakes”.
After resting him for the tour of West Indies, the India think-tank threw the white ball to Bumrah again, in Sri Lanka. A week after, Bumrah now tops the wickets list for this leg, with 11 at a stellar average and economy-rate of 8.36 and 3.49.
“Considering that he goes toe to toe with seniors, he himself is masterly enough to decide what he needs to do. For example, he was telling me today that the pitch for this match had more swing as compared to the last one, which had more carry. Hence he opted for shorter lengths in the previous clash, and pitched it up in this one,” said Gujarat coach Vijay Patel. “He knows how to adapt. With his smartness, it isn’t surprising to see him do well.”
A sense of delivering retribution to critics hasn’t shaped Bumrah’s purple patch. A part of what actually has lies in his remarks after the Pallekele win. “You have to learn new things. If you are just a one-trick pony, it won’t work in the long run.”
And that he has done, tacking on additions to his skillset through every phase. In his first three IPL seasons, slingy action was his USP. The next two saw him add slower balls and pinpoint yorkers to his repertoire.
Sunday saw Bumrah make yet another deposit in his technical arsenal: showing potential with the new ball. Two of his five scalps — Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis — were made sans scuffed leather.
“He’s one of the best, I would say. He’s one bowler who has gone one notch up when it comes to multiple formats,” said former India pacer L Balaji. “I’ve seen him in action for Gujarat. He has the ability to reverse the ball and extract late movement, which will be even more prominent in South Africa and England-like conditions. He should definitely be in the five-day scheme of things too.”
rahulravi@newindianexpress.com