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Former India coach John Wright scouted Bumrah for the Mumbai Indians in 2013, when he had actually gone to watch a T20 game to have a look at Axar Patel.Besides his wicket-taking abilities, Bumrah’s slingy action instantly caught attention and his unconventional stiff-arm delivery stride became the talk of the town when he made his Mumbai Indians’ debut.
In an interview to The Guardian newspaper, Bumrah admits that he never intended to be orthodox, which he actually turned into his strength.
“In my head, growing up, I was never unorthodox. It wasn’t until I joined a national junior camp and saw a video of myself (when I figured that I was different). I was just bowling fast and taking wickets, it (having an unorthodox action) never occurred to me. Now it’s my strength,’ said the 30-year-old right-arm pacer.
“It (bowling action) may have gotten jumbled up from watching lots of different bowlers on television but I’ve been fortunate: No coach has ever tried to change me,” he said.
(Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images)
‘Sledging? That’s not me’
Bumrah is hardly seen getting under a batter’s skin with words, hard stares or an extended follow-through to get closer to the striker. Instead, it’s his pace and accuracy that keeps the willow-wielders on tenterhooks.
The pacer from Ahmedabad admits being “that guy” during his days in junior cricket, after which he discovered that it had started affecting his bowling.
“As a fast bowler who learned through watching television, I thought that you had to get angry, you had to have a word with the batsman…and when I started playing junior cricket, I was that guy,” Bumrah told the newspaper.
“But in trying to do those antics, I realised that’s not me, that’s not helping me focus on the job in hand. I had to channel my anger because I am a fast bowler. I do get angry, I don’t want to get hit, I’m not here to entertain or give throwdowns, I want wickets, I am here to make you uncomfortable. But I don’t want to lose my shape or my zone,” he explained.
(Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images)
‘Who wouldn’t want to captain a team!’
As a senior in the team now, Bumrah has already had the opportunity to be in the role of a Test captain in the rescheduled Birmingham Test against England in 2022; and he said he would grab the opportunity if given a chance again.
“I did one game and it was the utmost honour. Playing Test cricket is great, captaining was even better. Yes, we lost, but we were ahead in the match and I loved the responsibility,” said Bumrah, who has taken 140 wickets in 32 Tests.
“Sometimes as a fast bowler you go down to fine leg and switch off, but I loved being involved in every decision, right in the thick of things. And given the opportunity, of course, who wouldn’t (want to be the captain)! Fast bowlers are the smart ones; they do a hard job and they know what to do around the game.”
(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
‘I don’t relate to Bazball‘
Bumrah will next be seen in action in the five-Test home series against England, beginning January 25 in Hyderabad.
The series is being talked about as the test of ‘Bazball’ against Indian bowling that is well equipped in both pace and spin department to seriously challenge England’s aggressive and largely successful approach to Test cricket under coach Brendon McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes.
But Bumrah says he doesn’t relate to the term ‘Bazball’, while acknowledging that being aggressive has worked out for the English team so far.
(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
“I don’t really relate to the term Bazball. But they are playing successful cricket and the aggressive route of taking the opposition on, showing the world there’s another way to play Test cricket,” Bumrah said in the interview to The Guardian.
“As a bowler, what I think is that it (Bazball) keeps me in play. And if they’re going for it, playing so fast, they won’t tire me out. I could get heaps (of wickets). I always think about how I can use things to my advantage. Kudos to them, but as a bowler you are in the game.”
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