Cricket – ICC Cricket World Cup – South Africa v India – The Ageas Bowl, Southampton, Britain – June 5, 2019 India’s Jasprit Bumrah celebrates taking the wicket of South Africa’s Hashim Amla Action Images via Reuters/Paul ChildsIs there any other bowler, apart from Jasprit Bumrah, who can get the ball to skid off the surface and also, at the same time, get it to bounce from back of a length? Skid or bounce: Usually bowlers have the ability to make the ball do one of these, rarely both. The effect is almost imprinted in the action: you are either a skiddy type or the bouncy type. Bumrah can be both. Depending on the surface, he can pitch the ball at the same spot and make it do two different things.
Casual observers have called his action ‘slingy’ like Lasith Malinga’s but it’s different. The hyper-extension of the elbow has meant that it remains straight — the elbows don’t bend like most bowlers’ tend to do. Instead, the wrists do all the work, whipping the ball down. As a result, he gets the dual advantage of both the high-arm and whippy release. And hence he can be skiddy and at the same time, get it to kick up if he desires.
He does it with such subtlety that makes it difficult to pick them. The difference is having the fingers on top of the seam and behind it but with his unique action, the batsmen have little or no time to sort out the intricacies. In some sense, it’s as if he is standing and releasing the ball. Like throwdowns. The arm is raised high and the wrists and fingers whip the ball down. He can then focus entirely on cocking his wrists and getting his fingers to impart a lot more backspin than normal. Bumrah has the skill and variety to trouble each of the top-four Australians at the Oval on Sunday.
Australia’s Aaron Finch during a press conference before India vs Australia World Cup clash (Source: Reuters)Finch: A good-length delivery
Aaron Finch is a candidate for lbw against good-length deliveries. Until not too far back, he used to be in real trouble against that length and though of late, for the last three-four months, he has developed a defensive plan against it. The frailness used to mystify as it wasn’t the outgoing or nip-backer, but the length itself which used to trouble him. He would dawdle on the front foot and then sort of hang his bat out. Analysts from broadcasting networks around the world have spent enough footage on it and would usually end with a mumble: it doesn’t seem to be great issue but he is having it.
As if they couldn’t believe their eyes. As if they couldn’t understand why does a top-order batsman have a problem against length deliveries, of all things. Probably because he is a converted opener and doesn’t (rather didn’t) have the confidence to take a positive stride out.
Warner: Mixing it up, cramping him on the leg-side
David Warner presents an interesting challenge. The IPL, where he made a lot of runs, actually threw up a problem with his batting. As the tournament progressed the bowlers had identified that if they bowled at his body, on the leg and middle line, he was getting cramped a bit too much. He had based his game on the off-side play and was looking at every opportunity to side-step and play through that region. Kevin Pietersen, who was commentating in the IPL, said if it were him, he would take a guard close to the middle and off, give himself more room to nurdle to the leg side. But Warner isn’t KP, and he didn’t take that option in the middle. He stuck to his legstump stance and somehow manoeuvred into positions to try pinging the off side. He was also helped by the fact that most sides in IPL didn’t have a bunch of good fast bowlers who could effectively target that weakness. Bumrah, and the Indian team, would have observed Warner’s troubles for sure, and yet again, Bumrah possesses the weapons to really test him. He has the leg-cutter, at least the one that straightens, and can of course slant it across Warner – and the combination of the two could force Warner into committing mistakes.
Khawaja: Straightening one to try for LBW
Usman Khawaja showed a hitherto unsuspected problem against the bouncer when he got hit twice on the helmet by the West Indies bowlers, and moved outside leg stump and had a bit of a slog at the third. Indians aren’t likely to overdo the bouncers on this Oval track, but there would be a couple for sure at Khawaja, who is usually a good puller. Khawaja had great success against India in the ODIs in India earlier this year, tackling whatever was thrown at him – seam and spin. Bumrah usually tries to slant a few across him, before straightening one to try for an lbw.
Steve Smith played his first match in Australian colours since the ban. (Source: Cricket.com.au/Twitter)Smith: Leg-cutter can do the trick
If Bumrah is bowling at Steve Smith with the new ball, then India would already be in very good position. In the IPL, his elbow was still sore and stiff and had restricted his shot making. He was at his fluent self against the West Indies and as aware and in control as ever. Even as his team-mates were struggling against the short ball, Smith shelved the pull shot. As Finch pointed out on Saturday, Smith tried a pull shot “around the 33rd over” and when he saw he couldn’t control it, he once again ditched the shot. Of all the Indian bowlers, it has to be Bumrah that Smith might have a problem against. Not many bowlers in the world have come to terms with Smith’s shuffles in the crease. He is forever on the move in the crease — something that throws off the bowlers. But if there is one delivery that has caused him some problem, it’s the delivery that straightens (preferably a leg cutter) outside off stump from a length. On the move, Smith can throw his hands at it, and nick it. Not many bowlers manage to do it, though. In the Indian attack, if anyone can, it’s Bumrah.
