Former Indian coach John Wright recalled the time when he first identified Jasprit Bumrah as future star after watching the Indian pacer's yorkers - that have become his trademark now - while his time with the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
With an interview with Mumbai Mirror, Wright recollected a T20 match Bumrah had played in 2013 in Ahmedabad and Bumrah's performance there caught Wright's attention.
"He was playing in a T20 match in Ahmedabad in 2013,” Wright said. “I watched him the bowl last two or three overs of the innings. He bowled fast yorkers with an interesting action. One of his deliveries hit the footmark and flew right over the head of keeper Parthiv Patel. It went for four byes," Wright said.
Speaking of the transition from T20 cricket to Tests, Wright said, "Sometimes it doesn’t work but in Bumrah’s case it has. To be honest, all the credit goes to him because it’s okay being picked and identified but then it’s up to the player to learn lessons and improve. I am enjoying his success and it’s great to see him bowl well in Australia.”
Crediting the bowler for the transition, Wright also suggested that Bumrah has an interesting bowling action and that has helped him grow in the longest format.
"It’s the player that has to make this transformation. It’s a different game and I think now he is getting closer to the stumps while bowling. The great thing about him was his action and his pace. He can do some interesting things with the ball. He is not just a one-trick bowler.
He has got quite a few attacking weapons up his sleeves. The thing about him is that he is a great lad and has kept his feet on the ground. I hope he keeps doing that. I also hope that he keeps doing what he does," Wright added.
Bumrah, who bagged six wickets in the first innings in the ongoing third Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), surpassed Dileep Doshi to register most wickets for India in his debut year in Test cricket with 45 wickets and counting.
The Indian pacer added two more to his account on Saturday and at stumps of Day four, Australia were 141 runs behind a miraculous victory, while the Indians two more wickets away frim recording a historic win at the iconic MCG.
