India vs West Indies: Jasprit Bumrah steps up after Jofra Archer show

Jasprit Bumrah has dealt with three arguments in the last two years or so. Since January, 2018, when the white-ball whizkid was drafted into the Test team at Cape Town, his pace, precision and yorkers have been a warning to home teams that if they lay out a pacy track, Indian seamers will give it as good as their batsmen get it. The other debate has just had the first words said—Jasprit Bumrah versus the newest kid in the Test arena, Jofra Archer. The Barbados-born England fast bowler has taken the cricket world by storm bowling a scorching pace and leaving the Australian batsmen fret about their safety in the ongoing Ashes series. The versatility of both pacers will also be compared in the months to come as Bumrah and Archer are both at home in all three formats.

READ: 1st in India and Asia: Bumrah marches on, registers stunning record

Archer has hogged the headlines in recent weeks, and Bumrah delivered another big blow for the excitement fast bowlers bring to keep Test cricket alive. The 25-year-old produced a sensational spell of swing, seam and pace at North Sound, Antigua on Sunday. His eight-over spell, returning a ridiculous five for seven runs, rolled West Indies over with over a day to spare.

BACK AFTER BREAK

The 318-run victory is India’s biggest in terms of runs away from home, giving Virat Kohli’s team a dream start in the World Test Championship. Senior pro Ishant Sharma set it up with five-for in the West Indies first innings, but Bumrah took the breath away as the hosts hoped to salvage a draw.

Bumrah’s unique action has been dissected threadbare, especially since his Test debut in South Africa. His ambling in, taking a couple of little jumps to start with before producing consistently sharp deliveries bearing the stamp of his powerful and straight shoulder have all been debated. With his unique skill-sets, as Kohli explained, it is vital to preserve him, and not run him to the ground by playing in every game.

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Bumrah was making a return in Antigua, having enjoyed a deserved rest from the limited-overs series in the Caribbean after taking 18 wickets in India’s semi-final run at the World Cup. There was some rust, the bowler explained, after managing 1/55 from 18 overs in the first innings.

“There was some back stiffness,” he said after the victory. He suggested Ishant Sharma, who plays only Tests, bowle cross-seam after the ball got wet due to dampness in the ground. It worked nicely for the man, who took two return catches as well.

He explained how he has worked on the outswinger. “I used to bowl the inswinger earlier, but the more Test matches I’ve played, I’ve gotten more confident to bowl the outswinger, especially since England,” he said. “This wicket was sometimes on the flatter side, then we had to do things differently, get the ball to seam. It was swinging today, so we bowled this way.”

SHARP OUTSWINGERS

Bumrah’s accuracy and mastery of the yorker have stood out. He revealed the outswinger is now a polished weapon and that he can switch between seam and swing, depending on the conditions. In the first innings, the ball didn’t swing much and seam it had to be. In the first innings, his lone victim Darren Bravo was trapped leg before, done in by one that pitched and nipped back. Opener Kraig Brathwaite chased one outside off-stump, to be caught by Rishabh Pant. But swing left the batsmen floundering as the other four victims were bowled.

READ: Indian pacers break records in Antigua Test, usher in a new dawn

Left-handed opener John Campbell was beaten as the ball swung into him, sneaking between bat and pads to crash on to the stumps. Darren Bravo, another left-hander, was dismissed in identical fashion.

Shai Hope drove at a length ball at off-stump, but was beaten by swing that sent his stump flying. Skipper Jason Holder tried to defend, for a change, but the late away swing did him in, crashing into off-stump.

It completed Bumrah’s fourth five-wicket innings haul. He is the first to take five-wicket hauls in South Africa (5/54 in Jo’burg), England (5/85 at Trent Bridge, on his comeback after a thumb fracture), Australia (6/33, his career-best, at MCG). But Sunday’s devastating spell, and the five-wicket haul for virtually nothing, takes the cake. It also announces Bumrah as a complete fast bowler, going from strength to strength.

No wonder, Kohli pronounced Bumrah as the most important element if India are to win the inaugural World Test Championship. “He is going to be a key factor for us as long as the Test championship continues. We know how good a bowler he is. And the impact he can make in a spell,” he said.

With Archer having just kicked off his Test career, their battle should add extra spice to the race to be the best.