‘He can rattle the batsmen more often than any other bowler,’ Kapil Dev names the bowler he loves to watch
“Four or eight overs is fine. When he has to bowl 20 or 25 overs in a day for 3,4 5 test matches, then it would be tough because he puts so much effort with his short run-up,” Kapil, India’s World Cup-winning captain said.
Former captain of the Indian cricket team Kapil Dev was in complete awe of Jasprit Bumrah when asked to name the bowler he likes to watch the most from today’s era. In conversation with senior sports writer and journalist Ayaz Memon on Day 2 of the 18th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Kapil pointed out that although watching Bumrah perform gives his immense happiness, the 26-year-old needs to look out for his body.
Concerns regarding Bumrah’s action was earlier pointed out by West Indian great Michael Holding, with the former fast bowler believing that the pacer’s body may not hold for long because he generates so much pace from a short run up. Kapil touched upon the same.
“Four or eight overs is fine. When he has to bowl 20 or 25 overs in a day for 3,4 5 test matches, then it would be tough because he puts so much effort with his short run-up,” Kapil, India’s World Cup-winning captain said.
“What (Michael] Holding said is right. He is going to put so much pressure on his body. I hope he can survive. But today with that short run up, he can rattle the batsmen more often than any other bowlers I have seen.”
Bumrah forms an integral part of India’s strong fast bowling contingent, considered one of the best units in the world. A stark contrast to the early 2000s, India’s pace department, besides Bumrah, is stacked with the likes of Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and youngster Navdeep Saini, and this unit has proven in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand that it is capable of taking out 20 wickets in a Test.
Kapil, who in many ways, led India’s revolution in fast bowling, takes immense pride in knowing that India possess a bowling attack today which no team’s batsmen can afford to take lightly.
“I read somewhere that Brian Lara said he would rather prefer facing Kapil Dev but not Bumrah. Our fast bowlers are brilliant. Look at Shami, Bumrah. As a cricketer, it gives me a lot of happiness to say that today we depend on our fast bowlers. Our bowlers are capable of taking 20 wickets in a match,” Kapil pointed out.
“We’ve had spinners in the past whom we have depended more – Kumble, Harbhajan - but today no country would like to say ‘give them (Indian team) bouncy wickets’.”
