Team Indian pacer Mukesh Kumar revealed the advice of senior Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah as he has quickly progressed from a domestic veteran to an Indian all-format pacer. The right-arm bowler made his debut in all forms during the Caribbean trip in 2023, and he has since done well to maintain his spot in the squad.
While there was no doubt about his red-ball credentials, Mukesh has a few things to work on in his white-ball game, which began when the Delhi Capitals (DC) signed him during the IPL mini-auction following a successful tenure as a net bowler and had a decent job for the team in the cash-rich league to make into the Indian side.
Speaking on Telegraph India, Mukesh Kumar said that Jasprit Bumrah urged him to work on executing his yorker efficiently, and he believes that his advice has helped him improve his game.
“Bumrah bhai keeps advising me on the yorker in particular. He says, ‘Tu bahut acchha yorker daalta hai. Jo kar raha hai, bas wahi karta jaa’ (You bowl the yorker well. Just keep doing what you have been). We talk quite regularly and he gives me other suggestions as well, which are obviously invaluable,” Mukesh Kumar said.
Mukesh Kumar has a fantastic opportunity to make his home Test debut in the next series against England. Team India will be keen on rotating the pacers during the high-octane series, allowing all fast bowlers a fair chance to play at some point throughout the five-match contest.
The Process Is Quite Similar To What Myself – Mukesh Kumar
Mukesh Kumar discussed the fast bowling attack’s chemistry, comparing it to the one he had with the Bengal pacers on the local circuit, and said that Bumrah instructed him to bowl more dot balls to South African batters to keep pressure on the team, which worked out well for the squad.
“The process is quite similar to what myself, Akash (Deep), and Ishan Porel used to do in Bengal. Here also we discuss our respective roles: who will go on all-out attack and who focuses on keeping things tight with maiden overs”.
“In Cape Town, Bumrahbhai was telling me to keep bowling those dot balls as that would add to their (Proteas) pressure (in the second innings). Such was the situation that I had to bowl those, which eventually proved to be beneficial for the team,” Mukesh Kumar added.
Mukesh Kumar, who missed the first Test against South Africa in Centurion, was selected as the fourth seamer for the second Test in Newlands, Cape Town. The 30-year-old bowled exceedingly well in both innings of the shortest Test in history alongside Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah to help India register a historic victory in Centurion.
