Former Australia captain Greg Chappell feels India's bowling superstar Jasprit Bumrah embodies qualities of legends like Dennis Lillee, Andy Roberts and Richard Hadlee. Bumrah has been a match-winner for India for many years and has turned the games upside down for the Men in Blue.
Chappell, who has also coached India previously, hailed the 31-year-old right-arm speedster for being on the list of legends. "What sets Bumrah apart is his combination of skills: (Malcolm) Marshall’s adaptability, Lillee’s aggression, Richard Hadlee’s control, Roberts’ strategy, Wasim (Akram) and Waqar’s (Younis) reverse swing, (Glenn) McGrath’s precision, (Dale) Steyn’s explosiveness, and (Kagiso) Rabada’s modern versatility.
"As Nasser Hussain aptly observed, He’s the complete bowler. As he has had back surgery already, it is not certain he will have a long career, but if he does, his name will be mentioned in the same breath as the champions above," Chappell wrote in the 'Sydney Morning Herald'.
Chappell believes that Bumrah has the abilities of Lille to unsettle the batters at will. "While the legends of yesteryear established the foundations, Bumrah is carving his own legacy – one that promises to inspire future generations of pacemen. Lillee was a warrior, combining raw aggression with psychological prowess. I opposed him many times in domestic cricket and watched him from close quarters against the best batsmen of his era.
"His ability to make it hard for batsmen to score runs with his probing line and length, allied to his guile and determination, made him the champion that he was. Bumrah, though less overtly combative, channels Lillee’s ability to unsettle batsmen. His deadly yorkers and disconcerting bounce – especially with his unorthodox release point and trajectory – echo Lillee’s capacity to dictate terms. Bumrah’s quiet intensity and precision make him a nightmare, much like Lillee’s unrelenting aggression," he said.
The former Australian captain also drew comparisons of Bumrah with former West Indies legend Any Robers, who had brilliant pace and also possessed variations, just like Bumrah does. "Bumrah shares Roberts’ cerebral approach. Both bowlers use subtle variations to outfox batsmen, relying on strategy rather than brute force. Bumrah’s spell in the 2018 Boxing Day Test against Australia – culminating in 6-33 – was a modern echo of Roberts’ game-changing bursts," he said.
Bumrah had picked 5/30 in the first innings of the Perth Test to change the course of the game. He was the difference between the two teams as he played a major role in bowling Australia out for 104 after India had made 150 batting first.
The speedster looked good in the second Test too but could not do much damage as he was seemingly having significantly less support from his partners. He will now aim to churn out his best again in the third Test match at Gabba.
