Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun feels that the unique bowling action has made the Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah so special in the international cricket.
Since his debut in international cricket, the Indian right-arm pacer Jasprit Bumrah has evolved as one of the top-class bowlers in the world cricket. As the 25-year-old is now dominating in every part of the world cricket, Arun speaks about his bowling.
Arun told the reporters, “What makes him (Bumrah) so special is because he is so unique (in his bowling action). Maybe the batsmen pick up his balls a little later than which they normally do from a clean action and that makes him so much more potent. Of course, for any fast bowler to be bowling 145 clicks and above consistently over a period of time, you need to generate a lot of speed from your arms. We were extremely confident of Bumrah doing well even before he started playing Tests because he was unique and most batsmen who played against him said it was difficult to pick him.”
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Arun revealed that he had worked with Bumrah at NCA during his U19 level. He felt that the pacer generates a lot of pace with his action but it also puts a lot of strain on his body.
The bowling coach added, “I had the opportunity to work with Bumrah when he was at U-19 level and when I was with NCA. I felt Bumrah was able to generate a lot of pace with his action, but puts a lot of strain on his body. It was a challenge and we had discussions with the physios and trainers. We came to the conclusion that we need to work on him to become extremely strong to be able to sustain his bowling. He was someone who did exceptionally well in the domestic championships as well. So, we thought we would give him a go.”
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Not only Bumrah but the entire Indian pace bowling unit has also dominated in this year’s international cricket. To create this successful pace-bowling unit, Arun has credited the strength-conditioning coach Shankar Basu and physio.
Arun said, “Definitely yes (this is the year). Right from the period we started the tour of South Africa, England and right now, they (pacers) have done exceptionally well. Recently I was told that they have broken the record of West Indian trio and that speaks volumes about these fast bowlers.
“It is a combination of a lot of work, identifying what it requires to be bowling fast over a period of time, the strength-conditioning coach Shankar Basu and physio have played a major role in making these fast bowlers. I think load monitoring is extremely crucial if you want them to last over a period of time, and their inputs become extremely important. I think it is teamwork.”
Also read: Jasprit Bumrah And Rishabh Pant Break Records At The MCG
Arun claimed that India had some great pacers at past like Zaheer Khan and Kapil Dev, but this is the top pace-bowling unit in the nation’s history.
The Indian bowling coach added, “There have been great fast bowlers but this is the first time India has had a bunch of bowlers. We had great bowlers like Zaheer Khan and Kapil Dev earlier but to have 3-4 bowlers together it really augurs well for Indian cricket. Now they have proved over this past year, they are fast, mean and they can be consistent.”
In further, Arun also credited the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he felt that the tournament has put a great impact on Indian cricket.
Arun said, “One, I think IPL is a great platform for youngsters to showcase their skills and also rubbing shoulders with top international cricketers in the dressing room would work a long way in improving their confidence. When they do well at the IPL, they feel they belong to the international level. IPL has had great impact on Indian cricket over the last 10 years.”
Arun also believes that the Indian domestic cricket has helped the Indian fast bowlers to evolve, especially with the old balls.
He claimed, “Most Indian bowlers when they play domestic cricket back home, they use the old ball very well. In subcontinental conditions new ball does not move much, most conditions are conducive to spin. So for fast bowlers, the only way they make an impression is if they learn to use the old ball or reverse it. The domestic structure in India has really helped these fast bowlers to evolve.”
On the other hand, the Indian left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja has played only two overseas Tests in this year. However, Arun is confident that Jadeja can lead the spin-bowling attack.
Arun said, “Jadeja has matured a lot over the years. He has gained a lot of confidence and the way he did in England at the Oval, we can be quite confident that Jadeja can lead the spin attack.
“I would say that a spinner maturing is about him understanding and discovering himself. And how he does it is trying various angles with which he can bowl and variations in position of wrists. In the last couple of years, Jadeja has learnt quite a lot and that has helped him evolve from what he was earlier.”
