Ravi Shastri Applauds Jasprit Bumrah, Sees Parallels with Wasim Akram in His Prime

Former India coach Shastri stated that Bumrah has the ability to control the ball with the same mastery as Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shane Warne did during their prime years.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri came close to calling Jasprit Bumrah a magician with the ball. He highlighted Bumrah’s crucial performances in the T20 World Cup in the Americas, including India’s ability to thwart Pakistan’s charge in the group stage and their dramatic victory over South Africa in the final. In their Group A clash against Pakistan, India defended a modest 119 and secured a six-run win. Bumrah played a pivotal role by dismissing the dangerous Mohammad Rizwan, which shifted the game’s momentum and led to Pakistan’s collapse from a strong position of 80/3.

Bumrah then delivered a game-changing spell in the final against the Proteas in Barbados, conceding just four runs in the 16th over and dismissing the dangerous power-hitter Marco Jansen, which severely impacted South Africa’s chase of 176.

“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 that the India-Pakistan match was crucial for India, as it revealed the right combination for the tournament. He also emphasized the importance of the final, particularly the last five overs.

Rohit Sharma’s decision to unleash Bumrah in the death overs against the well-set Rizwan proved pivotal, with Bumrah’s dismissal of Rizwan shifting the momentum back to India.

“Jasprit (Bumrah) getting Mohammad Rizwan was extremely crucial. It could have tilted the game, and it happened on the first ball of a new spell,” Shastri noted.

Shastri’s other memorable moment was Bumrah dismissing Jansen, who was the sixth South African wicket to fall in the 18th over, with the team needing 21 runs off 15 balls.

“Bumrah was brought back into the attack and got Jansen with a reverse delivery that sneaked through bat and pad. That was a very, very important wicket,” Shastri recalled.

Earlier, Hardik Pandya had removed Heinrich Klaasen in the 17th over, caught by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

“Hardik (Pandya) did the main damage by taking Klaasen, but that back-to-back wicket was extremely important,” Shastri added.

Bumrah was named ‘Player of the Tournament’ for his 15 wickets at an average of 8.26. Shastri compared him to legends like Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis.

“Very few have changed the flow of the game like that. Wasim (Akram) and Waqar (Younis) had it in their prime, and Shane Warne could dictate the ball’s movement. Bumrah had that ability in this World Cup,” Shastri said.

Shastri also praised Suryakumar Yadav’s stunning boundary catch to dismiss David Miller, which reduced the Proteas to 161/7 with just five balls remaining.

“That catch was a game changer because David (Miller) is capable of turning the game. The timing couldn’t have been better,” Shastri commented.

He also expressed admiration for Rishabh Pant’s remarkable comeback to top-level cricket after a serious car accident, noting Pant’s exceptional performance behind the stumps and his swift return to form.

“He barely missed a thing, although he must have felt the pressure as the tournament progressed. It’s not easy to return and perform at the level he did,” Shastri added.