Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad has described Indian ace Jasprit Bumrah as the finest bowler globally and suggested that the outcome of the five-test series might hinge on his physical condition. The Test series is set to begin on June 20 in Leeds.
In his new podcast titled "For the Love of Cricket" alongside Jos Buttler, Stuart Broad mentioned, "I have absolutely no doubt that he is currently the finest bowler globally. His performance in Australia was proof of this. These conditions will likely make him even more formidable."
Referencing Bumrah’s disagreement with Sam Constable in Australia, Broad praised his competitive spirit, analyzed his bowling technique, and elaborated on what makes him such a challenging opponent.
This bloke is really composed, right? Plus, he tends to be pretty relaxed at times. However, beneath that lies his intense competitive nature. Remember when we saw some fantastic gameplay from him during the match in Australia where he clashed with Konstas, probably the young opener, in the final over while Khawaja was batting? He managed to edge Khawaja out, getting him dismissed, then went into this frenzy of cheering and shouting. That’s exactly how it goes; every top-tier fast bowler needs that fiery spirit within them.
However, his competitive nature really stands out. Having come through during the Virat Kohli era, he was expected to maintain that level of competitiveness, wasn’t he? Yes, he’s definitely an exciting player to keep an eye on and someone who England wouldn’t wish to face over five Test matches. If he gets the chance, he could well claim plenty of wickets.
Wow! He sure stands out. However, his standout feature is his remarkably serene approach; he has a very compact strides leading up to the throw. This makes it difficult for opponents like you to gauge his pace since he almost saunters towards the ball. You expect something around 70 miles per hour but suddenly it whizzes past you at 90 mph. There’s not much time to find your rhythm.
When facing Shoaib Akhtar, he charged in at full speed of 100 miles per hour and bowled with similar velocity. You were always prepared for that pace. However, Bumrah’s approach to bowling is very composed. His strides are quite compact; thus, he doesn’t lose balance during his run-up. As he releases the ball, his leading foot remains firmly planted, propelling him forward like a slingshot.
I observe Glenn McGrath — possibly known for having the most well-balanced delivery stride among those I have seen. Similarly, Bumrah maintains this balance. His ability allows him to adjust his wrist ever so slightly, altering the direction of the ball with just a few millimeters' difference.
When you face him, you don’t see grand visual cues, do you? You won’t catch him swinging his leading arm aside for an inswinger or rotating his shoulders sharply to the left for an offspinner. It all seems to come down to just a subtle twist of the wrist.