South Africa vs India 2018: Four arguments in favour of Jasprit Bumrah's inclusion

Live action from the long-awaited South Africa tour has finally begun. There is an air of excitement surrounding the series after a long time. Finally, the Indian team will be subject to an opposition that will slow down, if not halt, their winning run.

The 1st Test against South Africa provided some surprise selections by Virat Kohli and the team management. Although dropping vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane came as the biggest shocker, giving the greenhorn Bumrah a nod ahead of seasoned veterans Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav was no less a surprise.

However, here are a few reasons why his inclusion is justified:

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Wrap up the tail

Shoaib Akhtar always says, “Fast bowling is about two things - toes and nose.” The classical ‘fast’ bowling of the past era was as much about bowling quick as it was about other skills. The likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Dennis Lillee and Curtly Ambrose used to intimidate the batsmen, especially the tail-enders, with raw pace.

The Indian team have seen how frustrating the lower order batsmen can be in the past. South Africa have players like Vernon Philander and Keshav Maharaj who are no mugs with the bat. They have the potential to not only tire the bowlers out but also act as catalysts to shift the momentum. Bumrah’s toe-crushing yorkers, coupled with nippy bouncers, can help India run through the South African lower order.

Accuracy

We have seen in a short span of time that Bumrah is right on the money from the start. In a vocation where an inch here and there is the difference between an excellent yorker and a rank full toss, he has tremendous control over his deliveries.

In South Africa, where he will mostly be used as a first change bowler, control will be of the utmost importance. In the recent past, there have been instances when Ishant and Umesh have been a bit wayward. It has given the opposition batsmen a window of respite after the initial pressure.

Also, there will be phases in South Africa when wickets will not come easily. Then, the need arises to bottle one end up and create constant pressure by giving nothing away. At such times, the control of Bumrah will be the difference between a 300 and 450 run target.

X-factor

Bumrah’s unusual action certainly brings some sense of surprise with it. No matter how much footage you see of a bowler, it is nothing compared to first-hand experience. The Gujarat pacer has a deceptive action in more ways than one. The batsmen are generally hurried because the balls come much quicker than they anticipate.

He can also bring the slower one and yorker back in vogue in the Test arena. We hardly ever see any of these in Tests these days, but you never know how effective they may be in the changing scenario of Test matches.

Ideal Length

Bumrah's natural length is a little short of a good length which is ideal in South Africa. His bowling action is such that his arm comes from way over his head. On South African pitches, he has the potential to surprise the batsmen with his extra bounce.

Through years of practice, he has perfected the short-pitched delivery coming into the right-hander. The balls zip off the surface and hurry the batsmen. His nippy bouncer also catches the batsmen napping quite often.