ICC World Cup 2019 | Jasprit Bumrah key to India's chances of winning the tournament, says Micheal Clarke
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Micheal Clarke has stated that Jasprit Bumrah’s speed, swing, and death-over yorkers are the primary calling card for India skipper Virat Kohli. The 2015 Australia World Cup-winning skipper has also added that Bumrah would’ve become as successful as Wasim Akram if one ball was used in one innings.
Jasprit Bumrah went into the World Cup as the world’s best ODI bowler and his lethal yorkers were always going to be the major contributor to India’s chances of winning the World Cup. He demonstrated that beautifully by landing as many as nine yorkers in his last two overs against Afghanistan which helped Mohammed Shami big-time to pick a hat-trick and gift the game to India. Clarke was all praise for the Gujarat pacer and even went as far as calling him a “genius”.
"I think there is nothing that he (Bumrah) doesn't have. He is fit and healthy. I hope he stays that way as he would play a big part in India's success in this World Cup. With the brand new ball, he can swing and seam it. When the ball is doing nothing in the middle overs, he has the extra pace to trouble batsmen," Clarke told ToI.
"He can bowl close to 150 clicks and then at the death, he bowls those yorkers as good as anyone else. And if there is reverse swing, he is a genius.”
One of the biggest strengths of Jasprit Bumrah is his ability to put the success and failures behind him and approach every game as an opportunity to shine. That reflected in his record as well as Bumrah has hardly ever been out of form ever since he was drafted into the Indian squad three and a half years ago, against Australia in Sydney in 2016. Clarke stated that if there was one ball in use in contemporary cricket, then Bumrah might’ve become as successful as Wasim Akram.Â
"As a captain, probably, you need someone like him to throw the ball to when you need wickets. He can open the bowling, bowl that 35th over when nothing is happening or bowl those last four overs at the death, which can win India a World Cup final. I think he would have as successful as Akram if one ball is used. He is that good that he would have found out ways to adapt," the former Australian skipper said.
