Terror of Jasprit Bumrah: Waqar Younis, Dale Steyn decode magic behind pacer’s success

India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah earned the player of the match award in India vs Pakistan’s group stage match in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Playing at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, Bumrah bowled a match-winning spell on Sunday, 9 June. The pacer finished with the figures of 4-0-14-3, which included the wickets of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed. Bumrah was successful in both of his spells, breaking the back of Pakistan batting line-up, with just 119 runs to defend.

The legendary Waqar Younis and Dale Steyn got together on Star Sports to decode why Bumrah was so successful throughout his career, and especially since his return from injury. Bumrah has been in stellar form since his comeback to international cricket. He was one of the best bowlers in the ODI World Cup 2023, and in the Indian Premier League 2024, players found it very difficult to score runs against him. Bumrah carried his form into the T20 World Cup and has bowled well on the tricky pitch in New York.

BEST WHITE-BALL BOWLER: WAQAR

Former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis, while speaking on Star Sports on Monday, 10 June, put things simply. Waqar lauded Bumrah for breaking the back of Pakistan’s batting by removing the best batters in their line-up.

“Jasprit Bumrah is a class act. You’ve got to really praise him the way he bowls. He’s very, very smart. He knows exactly what he’s doing and he reads the conditions so well. It is not the first time I saw him, not only against Pakistan, but against any opponent, and he knows exactly what needs to be done on certain pitches. But yesterday he was top class. He was not given a new ball and given the ball in the third over and he was spot on picking up Babar’s wicket, picking up Rizwan and taking those two wickets really broke the back of Pakistan team,” Waqar Younis explained.

‘MASTERY OF LENGTH’
Steyn analysed Bumrah’s bowling and said that the adjustment in the length is the Indian pacer’s secret to success. Steyn said that Bumrah’s ability to read conditions well helps him to decide on his length fairly quickly and that makes him very hard to bat against.

“I think his great skill is his ability to alter his length. He’s never really had an issue with his line. If he wants to follow a wide yorker, it’s no problem. A straight yorker. It’s no problem, but his length. We spoke about the length earlier. When you’re in India, you might want to change your length. You might want to go a little bit fuller, you know, maybe a bit shorter wherever it is. But he’s adjusted to the length here so well. And that means that as a batter, you’re getting absolutely nothing. You’re not getting any freebies. He’s not bowling any half volleys that you can score runs,” Dale Steyn said.

“So whether he’s opening the bowling or coming in as a reverse change, his adaptability to length is what makes it so difficult for batters to score runs. And then all of a sudden you got to take a chance to a ball that’s not there and that’s how he gets his wickets. And then he throws in his magic deliveries, which are absolutely incredible,” Dale Steyn explained further.

THE TERROR OF BUMRAH
Waqar concluded the brief show by reiterating his point from a day back, stating that Bumrah struck so much fear into the opposition that the batters reacted late even against his bad balls. Waqar pointed out that none of the Pakistan batters were able to hit Bumrah’s rank full tosses out of the par, even when the total was so low.

“And he’s also created that terror like Dale Steyn at one stage. It plays in batters’ minds and even if he bowls a bad ball, you’re so worried and scared of losing your wicket against him that you just miss out on things. And I always praise him, and I always feel that he’s probably the best white ball bowler right now,” Waqar Younis concluded.

The fast bowler has 5 wickets in 2 matches and has given away just 20 runs in total in the tournament so far. Bumrah will play against the USA and Canada in India’s remaining two fixtures from the group stage.