Former Indian pace bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji has been in awe of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s recent performances, especially in the Test format of the game. Bumrah claimed nine wickets in the second Test against England and helped Team India level the series in Visakhapatnam with a huge 106-run win. He has now claimed 155 wickets in just 34 Tests at an amazing average of 20.19 as well.

Laxmipathy Balaji was quoted as saying by TOI about Jasprit Bumrah: “Bumrah’s overall average is in the early 20s (20.19) and he has already got 150 plus wickets…We used to hear of such numbers from Malcolm Marshall or Richard Hadlee. This is phenomenal. The angle that Bumrah generates is god’s gift. Coming from wide of the stumps, the areas that he can bowl sometimes defies physics. It is Bumrah’s ability to take the pitch out of the equation that makes him so special.”

The veteran has also shared how great it felt that an Indian bowler was showing great performances at similar levels to former legends of the game like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as well.

“Bumrah’s form on his return from injury is something similar to Dennis Lillee’s. The Aussie great, who also suffered a serious back injury (in the late 1970s), but came back as a matured and far more potent bowler. Bumrah is doing just that. He hasn’t lost his pace which hasn’t diminished his fear factor. I can tell you from experience to do this is incredibly difficult,” Lakshmipathy Balaji concluded.