Ravi Shastri hails Bumrah as a 'Magician' with the Ball

Mumbai: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri recently praised pacer Jasprit Bumrah for his exceptional performances during the T20 World Cup in the Americas. Shastri stopped just short of calling Bumrah a magician with the ball, highlighting his pivotal moments in the tournament. Shastri specifically noted India’s successful defence of a modest 119 runs against arch-rivals Pakistan in the group stage and Bumrah's game-changing spell in the final against South Africa.

In the Group A clash against Pakistan, India narrowly won by six runs, largely thanks to Bumrah’s crucial breakthrough. At a critical juncture, with Pakistan at 80/3 and looking set to chase down India's total, Bumrah dismissed the dangerous Mohammad Rizwan, sending Pakistan into a tailspin. His timely intervention turned the game in India’s favour, showcasing his ability to influence matches significantly.

In the final held in Barbados, Bumrah played a key role in India’s victory over South Africa. His exceptional 16th over, where he conceded just four runs and dismissed power-hitter Marco Jansen, was instrumental in restricting South Africa’s chase of 176 runs. Shastri praised Bumrah for his ability to deliver under pressure, comparing his skills to those of legendary bowlers. "He (Bumrah) just showed the world what it takes...and you know, it's not often in your career when you have a ball in your hand and you say, 'do this and the ball does that'," Shastri remarked in the ICC Review.

Shastri highlighted two standout moments in Bumrah’s performance. The first was Bumrah’s dismissal of Rizwan, which was crucial in shifting the momentum back to India. This wicket came on the first ball of a new spell and was pivotal in the context of the match. Shastri described it as a potentially game-changing moment that could have tilted the balance in favour of Pakistan.

The second memorable moment for Shastri was Bumrah’s removal of Jansen. Reintroduced into the attack, Bumrah managed to get the ball to reverse and sneak through the bat and pad of Jansen. This dismissal, coming in the 18th over, was critical as South Africa was chasing 21 runs from 15 balls at the time. Jansen’s wicket was the sixth Protea to fall, and it was a significant blow to their hopes of victory.

Shastri also acknowledged Hardik Pandya’s vital contribution in the 17th over, where he removed Heinrich Klaasen, caught by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. "Hardik (Pandya) had done the main damage by taking Klaasen (in the previous over), but I thought back-to-back, that over and that wicket was extremely important," Shastri said.

Bumrah’s outstanding performance throughout the tournament earned him the 'Player of the Tournament' award for his 15 wickets at an average of 8.26. Shastri compared Bumrah’s impact to that of cricketing greats like the late Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis. "Very few have done it (change the flow of the game). I thought Wasim (Akram) and Waqar (Younis) had it in their prime when they played white-ball cricket. Shane Warne had it where he could literally tell the ball, go there, pitch there, hit leg stump," Shastri noted. He added, "People who are on top of the game have that ability. I think Bumrah had that in this World Cup."

Shastri also commended Suryakumar Yadav for his stunning catch on the boundary to dismiss David Miller, which reduced South Africa to 161/7 with just five deliveries remaining. "I think that (catch) was a game changer because you know what David (Miller) can do," Shastri said. "Another big shot (from Miller), and then, you know, the game's in the balance. So, I thought the timing couldn't have been better."

Finally, Shastri expressed admiration for Rishabh Pant’s determination to return to top-level cricket after a near-fatal car crash that had sidelined him for over a year. "He did his job with the bat, but it was his keeping that really surprised everyone. For someone to recover that quickly and then move the way he did," Shastri said. "He hardly missed anything, albeit he must have felt the pressure as the tournament got on because it's not easy to come back and do all the stuff he did."

Shastri’s reflections on Bumrah’s exceptional performances and the overall team effort underscore the significance of these standout moments in India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign. PTI