The legendary Australian pacer Glenn McGrath has recently discussed how the Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah can return to best. The 26-year-old Jasprit Bumrah made his international debut in January 2016. The right-arm pacer, who initially grabbed the attention for the unorthodox bowling action, regularly improved his game and evolved as one of the most important pacers in the Indian national cricket team. Since his Test debut in January 2018, Bumrah has incredibly grown up as a bowler.
Bumrah was the most wicket-taker in international cricket during the year of 2018 as he took 78 wickets in that calendar year. He was also India’s most wicket-taker (18 wickets) in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. The right-arm pacer also claimed a Test hat-trick during the Kingston Test in last August. While his Test bowling rankings was moving up rapidly, Bumrah was also the no.1-ranked ODI bowler at one stage.
But an injury has recently stopped his great run in international cricket. Bumrah missed out the cricket for more than four months due to a stress fracture. He came back to international cricket from the beginning of this year. Though he impressed with his bowling skills at the initial period of his return, he has failed to take the wickets regularly, and it has affected his confidence. In the New Zealand tour, Bumrah mostly disappointed with his bowling.
Glenn McGrath believes that the current situation is a test for Bumrah. According to McGrath, it can shape his career if the youngster handles the present situation well.
McGrath told ESPNcricinfo, “It comes back to the individual and how well he knows himself and how well he has done previously. So, yeah, Jasprit Bumrah, he’s still quite young and he’s got a couple of good seasons, but this would be the making of him.”
It’s more about the mindset: Glenn McGrath about Jasprit Bumrah’s present situation
McGrath has emphasised on the mindset to handle this situation. He also pointed out that the clarity on the game would help him to move out from this situation quickly.
McGrath added, “It’s more about the mindset. Coming back from injury is more like starting the season. If you finish the season up here [indicating a high level with his hand], the next season you want to start back up here. It doesn’t work that way and it took me a few seasons to work that out. I thought this is where I want to get to [the high level] and I’m starting the season again or coming back from injury, I’m starting down here [at a lower level]. So, I’ve to realise that and allow myself a few matches to get into where I want to get to and get on that upward slope. I think that’s probably the biggest issue – the expectations from everyone, back in the team I’ve got to pick up exactly from where I left off.
“And if you identify that you’ve got things in place, then your thought process is, ‘Okay this is what I want to achieve this game and it’s about the process. Getting the ball coming out well, bowling the areas I want and then building it up each match.’ If you got that way, the process, two or three matches, you’re back up at the top. But, he [Bumrah] has played only one [Test] match and everyone is into him. That’s how it goes.”
Bumrah didn’t play a domestic match before returning to the national team after recovering from the injury. However, McGrath doesn’t feel too much importance of domestic cricket in this matter.
He said, “Sometimes, it is a better way, otherwise no. It’s about the player themselves – where they are at and what they’re looking to achieve. To me, it’s more how we he bowled. Did he bowl a heap of rubbish? Then maybe there’s a few issues. Did he bowl well and didn’t take a wicket? One-day cricket is not about taking wickets. Early on you want to take wickets but it’s about containment. T20 cricket is sort of similar, and it’s about how well he’s bowling.
“Sometimes, coming back in Shield cricket in Australia or Ranji Trophy you have over here, there’s more expectations on the player to come back and dominate first ball. And if he doesn’t, then there’s more pressure.”
Jasprit Bumrah has played 14 Tests, 64 ODIs and 50 T20Is where the right-arm pacer has taken 68, 104 and 59 wickets respectively.