What made playing with Bumrah unique – Pujara column

Before he became my India team-mate, I faced Jasprit Bumrah in a club game when he was just a teenager.

Even though there were other bowlers in the game who had played first-class cricket, he was completely different.

He is a complete bowler these days, as we have seen with the most recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but his prior prowess were mostly attributed to his pace. He was quick.

People questioned whether or not he would be able to swing the red ball or whether or not he had the consistency and control needed for the longer format. His action was special.

He may have only taken four wickets in the first Test, but he completely answered all of those queries.

I can remember Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli standing next to me in second place at the first slip. We were all complaining about how it felt in a way that no other bowler’s did.

In that game, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, and Mohammed Shami each played for different reasons. Bumrah was quicker than Shimrah, but Shiva was quicker.

In my career, I frequently stood at first slip. It was entirely original.

There is much discussion about how difficult it is for batters to play his position wide on the crease and how difficult it is for slip fielders as well.

The wicketkeeper must stand almost behind the stumps against right-handers because of the angles he uses. To close the gap, I had to move further over.

We made a joke with him, but he never yelled at a slip fielder because he is too kind for that.

Jasprit is an introvert off the field. He spends a lot of time in his room. Not in a negative way, either. He simply enjoys being around.

We used to play Fifa on the PlayStation while on tour, including Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and former wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, and it was difficult for him to get there when we invited him.

We ended up laughing that we wouldn’t let him bowl if he didn’t arrive.

As a gamer, Bumrah is not very good at it, but he needed a good partner to play for him when he first visited England in 2018. In that case, he added another level of skill as a bowler.

By the time we returned to Australia the following winter, we realized he would be our wild card and would be a very long-term player for India. He played a key role in our first Australian victory.

I would have spent ages humming along and talking about it if I had bowled a ball like that to Jennings. Jasprit never boasted, but he kept his cool.

He simply moves on to the following delivery.

He frequently watches the game in the dressing room. The majority of fast bowlers get up and unwind. He can relax, but he is always watching the field.

Before India appointed Shubman Gill, he was always regarded as a candidate for captain because he would always be influencing what our batters or the opposition could be doing differently when I used to sit next to him.

Bumrah’s ball-handling, angle, or action are frequently discussed, but his greatest strength is frequently overlooked.

He was a part of the IPL when he had a brilliant cricket brain. He has developed the abilities to outsmart a batter while working with people like Lasith Malinga, a former Sri Lankan bowler.

His first instinct is to bowl his best ball, but he is aware of both a batter’s advantages and disadvantages if one comes in. He has developed his entire Test-bowling abilities from white-ball cricket.

When Jasprit assisted me in scoring a century in the first innings on that England tour in 2018, one of my favorites moments was in Southampton.

I must admit that when he came out at number 11, I did not anticipate getting there, but he said, “I will defend. I’m not sure if I’ll survive, but I’m going to try my best.

As we put on 46 for the final wicket, I came in with 132 not out.

He excels as a cricketer, whether he bats or bowls, because of his extreme competitiveness.

No matter what the circumstances of the game, he consistently wants and believes he can get a wicket when bowling.

In the end, he makes a fantastic teammate.