Jasprit Bumrah vs Pat Cummins - A duel in a parallel world

Jasprit Bumrah vs Pat Cummins - A duel in a parallel world

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Jasprit Bumrah will certainly never forget the Boxing Day Test of 2018. Everyone knew what he could do with the ball in hand and his red-ball reputation was growing further. But it reached a crescendo when he put up a spell of devastating ferocity - blowing the Aussies away with an insane spell.

Facing Jasprit Bumrah at his very best is not the easiest of the propositions one would ever relish and much like the Caribbean pacers of the lore, that day, he ran through the Aussie batting line up to return with figures of 9/86. The novelty factor had been worn off, it was the time for some serious business - the brilliance of a young individual who was out to destroy all the appalling preconceptions and make a name for himself in a format that not many thought he would excel in. 

Coincidentally, in the same game, Pat Cummins had already set the bar higher for the Indian pacer. After an underwhelming first innings, the New South Welshman was just magnificent in the second dig to bag a six-wicket haul to become the knight in shining armour for the hosts. He was the diamond who shone bright, making us all realise that we are already in an era of exceptional fast bowling and are being served the best platter there has ever been. All we could do is sit back and enjoy the glorious spectacle. 

Cricket, as a sport, is a microcosm of life in more ways than one. The roller coaster ride, the fall, the rise, and the narrative leaves us wanting for more. An out and out fast bowler talks to a sports fan's emotions more than any classic Test match innings can. When they are in complete sync with the most quintessential of human instincts, the rhythmic run-up and delivery lending us to forget the moment of despair, and the body temperature rising a few degrees with every inch-perfect yorker and a craftily-executed bouncer, we dance, we rise, we get the pulse. We realise it is not a craft, it is a state of mind. It is not zen, it is a hardcore instinct.

But then pause for a moment, think and think more. Bumrah and Cummins, the two smiling assassins of modern-day cricket, haven’t given any artificial melodrama. Have they? Remember, Wahab Riaz vs Shane Watson spell? It was a stunning spell of impregnable audacity no doubt and Riaz absolutely owned it but then again, we remember it more for the theatrics than the bowling itself. For the Indo-Aussie combo, however, this is a tale of their lives on a regular basis. Bowling and some wickets for fun. No over-the-top celebrations, no rooftop screaming. 

The tale of Cummins’ rise and sudden vanquish told as many times as Bumrah’s rags-to-riches journey from the maidans of Ahmedabad to the Indian team dressing room, but what we’ll have to come to witness in the first ODI in Mumbai on January 14 is the duo is going to play their 59th ODI game, with a little to differentiate in the statistics. The similarity in the storyline is hard to miss, but what about the complexities, the things that we don’t discuss much about.

Cummins’ obvious skills as a bowler come from his hand, a solid bowler who can move the ball, bounce out the opposition on flat decks while showcasing an array of weapons in his arsenal. It definitely gave him an advantage with the red ball and how brilliantly he has been able to translate the same to ODI cricket! This is interesting because unlike other multi-format specialists, he barely turns up for the 50-over cricket - he has played a total of 37 matches in the last three years even though the Aussie roaster was filled with ODI matches keeping the 2019 World Cup in mind - but the intensity and process hardly varies. The basics, as the traditionalists would say, has remained the same, as has his effectiveness.

Bumrah, for example, is a case of reverse-Cummins theory. He never failed to decisively change the course of a game with the sheer skill of bowling at the death and dishing out yorkers. However, he is widely regarded as a bowler in the shorter formats and even though he has been excellent in his fledgling Test career so far, the perception will take some time to go away. 

That, however, would matter for little as we go searching for mini battles in the game, with the mind sticking with two warriors, blazing in with deep blue and canary yellow. Two fiercely competitive fine young men who embody the very reason their teams play the sport - full of heart and flair - will put up another spectacle. That will be a win for the sports as India welcomes Australia for yet another series. 

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