Bumrah overburdened and hence missing his zip | Cricket

Since becoming an India cricketer in 2016, Bumrah has been MI’s go-to bowler. His numbers comfortably place him in the top tier. He was the second highest wicket-taker (27) in IPL 2021, the third highest (21) in IPL 2020. He’s always been MI’s best bowler. He is in the top-10 of IPL’s all-time list despite having played fewer matches than those ahead of him. Bumrah is an all-round T20 force who gets wickets in the powerplay, plays the enforcer in the middle-overs by hunting down match-ups and is very difficult to hit at the death. This year, his returns (5 wickets, ER 7.46, SR 46) don’t sit well with his stature in the format.

Yet, the ace seamer hasn’t bowled as badly as the numbers suggest. He’s only had two outright poor games. 0/48 against Gujarat Titans on Friday and in the first match against Delhi Capitals where he ended up with 0/43. In eight other outings, his economy has been 6.87, more miserly than his career IPL numbers. This week, coach Mahela Jayawardene spoke in defense of Bumrah’s defensive role. “You can say he hasn’t picked up wickets but teams play the entire bowling unit, not one bowler. What teams have done is looked to cover Bumrah, which means he hasn’t got the opportunity to pick up wickets,” he said.

Jayawardene is right. Not having a Trent Boult or Nathan Coulter Nile up front and a Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya in the middle to pressure batters has burdened Bumrah. We have seen teams adopting the same defensive approach against him as against Rashid Khan by denying him wickets.

But with Bumrah, we have seen many days when he has thrived in adversity. We are yet to see that happen, this season. What we have missed is the hostility in Bumrah’s bowling. Not words– he rarely sledges–but the zip in his deliveries. Even the magnificent change-ups that leave batters fumbling for answers are not seen. On Friday, his pace was blunted by Wriddhiman Saha in the opening overs. Saha repeatedly used the angle of Bumrah’s deliveries and pocketed boundaries on his favoured on-side. In the 19th over, Bumrah had 20 runs to defend. That was his territory. He bowls the penultimate over, unfailingly making the final over a more defendable one. On Friday, after four good balls, David Miller spotted his slower ball and sent it sailing over deep mid-wicket for a maximum. It was Daniel Sams and his dipping slower balls in the final over that saved the day for MI.

The missing powerplay wickets become more noticeable as that’s a one-on-one between the lead bowler and opposition’s top ball striker. But Bumrah’s changed role–he has had to bowl the extra powerplay over and go searching for wickets–has hurt MI in the middle overs, equally. Take the last two seasons and the current one: Bumrah had picked up 13 wickets at an economy of 5.08 in 2020, 8 wickets at 7.38 in 2021. This year he only has one scalp conceding 9.27 runs in the middle overs. In the death overs too, this year Bumrah has two wickets as compared to 7 and 10 in previous editions.

These numbers suggest you maybe a tearaway quick, a strike-force with a whippy action or a mysterious spinner, in T20 cricket, the whole will generally be greater than sum-of-its-parts. In IPL 15, MI along with Punjab Kings have picked up joint-least wickets among all teams. They know they need to restructure their bowling unit, next year. Mumbai also need Jofra Archer fit and hungry in 2023.