What’s the story?
Jasprit Bumrah has expressed his ambition to make a mark with the red-ball too. Eager to shed off public perceptions of him being a limited-overs bowler, the pacer opened up on his progress in the first-class circuit whilst alluding to the variety in domestic pitches.
“It's a perception, I guess, that I'm just a limited-overs cricketer. For three seasons now, I've been playing in the Ranji Trophy and for India A. I have had decent success, so I don't think of myself as just a short-form bowler. That said, it's important to adapt to formats quickly.
“This time (2016/17 Ranji season), playing seven matches across different surfaces has been a huge step in that direction. I've learned a lot about my bowling, in terms of being patient, consistent, and in general, being fit to bowl long spells”, Bumrah told ESPNCricinfo.
He added, “The beauty of domestic cricket is that it gives you time to absorb these lessons, which is why playing on the circuit for three years now has made me a better bowler. That's why I feel domestic grind is important for fast bowlers. In some ways, I've also been lucky to have had these habits told to me when I joined Mumbai Indians, before my Ranji debut. First-class cricket gave me the chance to work on these aspects over time.”
In case you didn’t know...
Bumrah has had a solid start to his first-class career with 89 wickets from 26 matches at an average of 25.33. The selectors are keenly monitoring his growth in the red-ball arena and have even helped him gain exposure by playing in four-day games in India ‘A’ tours to Australia.
The 2016/17 Ranji Trophy season has been a breakthrough season for him. With 24 wickets from 7 matches at an average of 21.75 including 3 five-wicket hauls (one each in the quarterfinal and semifinal), he played a key role in helping Gujarat reach the final after 66 long years.
The heart of the matter
However, Bumrah will not feature in the Ranji Trophy final after being pulled out of the match by BCCI. He admitted, “I'll miss being there. The side deserves a win. If and when we do that, I'll be celebrating, even if I may not be present physically.”
The 23-year old shared the lessons that he had learnt from playing in the tournament. Armed with a slingy action, he regularly tested opposition batsmen by plugging away in the corridor of uncertainty. On pitches which were not quite conducive to his style of bowling, his patience and ability to bowl long spells held him in good stead.
What next?
Bumrah’s next major international assignment will be the 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is at home against England. With Mohammed Shami not in the squad due to fitness concerns, the onus should be on him to deliver key breakthroughs and provide control in the end overs.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Bumrah’s views highlight the importance of first-class cricket on the development of a player. The right-armer has put in the hard yards and shown that he is capable of performing with the red-ball as well. Considering the frequent injuries and workloads of the lead seamers, he should be fast-tracked into the Indian Test squad for the solitary match against Bangladesh.
In that regard, the bowlers can be rotated on a regular basis with the number of options increasing too.
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