Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has hailed Jasprit Bumrah as the fastest bowler across all formats after the latter’s remarkable player of the series performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Bumrah was the standout performer in the series, taking 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 and his devastating bowling left Australia reeling on several occasions in the series. The Indian pacer’s 32 wickets in the series took him tantalizingly close to breaking Sydney Barnes’ record of 34 wickets in the 1911-12 series by an Australian touring pace bowler. However, injuries in the SCG Test prevented them from equaling or surpassing the historic achievement.
“What I thought about Bumrah after the series was that he was the best fast bowler across all three formats,” Clarke told ESPN’s Around the Wicket.
“I know a lot of great fast bowlers – Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath – I’m not talking about those guys because they haven’t played T20 cricket, but when it comes to someone who has played all three formats, he’s actually that good in any conditions. He can do it, that’s what makes him great, in any condition, in any format, this guy is a monster,” he said.
Bumrah dominated Australia with incredible performances including an eight-wicket haul at Perth, a six-wicket haul at the Gabba and a game-changing burst at the MCG. At the SCG, he dismissed Khawaja and Labuschagne early but bowled just one over after lunch on a well-played second day.
“I think India were probably 20 runs short (in Sydney). I think with Bumrah in the team, India are at home. I think Bumrah is that good… he’s much better than the other bowlers that were in the team. .” Clarke added. .
Former Australian captain Aaron Finch attributed Bumrah’s injury to the hosts’ deliberate strategy to tire him out. “Australia were ready to play a long game with Jasprit Bumrah. They let him bowl again and again, let him bowl one more over, let him bowl another three, four, five (more) overs and eventually “It worked and eventually they took him down and they played the long game and won,” he said.
Finch believes Bumrah’s presence in the final innings of the SCG Test would have made Australia’s chase much more difficult.
“Had he bowled in the last innings in Sydney, would Australia have gotten over the line? I think they still got over the line, but it would have been a lot more difficult than it was,” Finch said.
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