Michael Clarke effusive in his praise for Jasprit Bumrah after his otherworldly series against Australia in the BGT.
Michael Clarke has termed Jasprit Bumrah the best all-format quick bowler, ever after his Player-of-the-Series performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Midway through Australia’s first innings at the SCG in the last Test, Bumrah pulled up injured after taking 32 wickets at 13.06. Australia won the series 3-1 after chasing down 162 on the third day without Bumrah, despite India’s other quicks securing a four-run advantage.
Bumrah came within two runs of matching Sydney Barnes’ record of 34 wickets in a series by a touring speed bowler to Australia, set in 1911–12.
“The thing I’ve thought about Bumrah, after the series finished and I was sitting and thinking about his performances, I actually think he’s the best fast bowler ever across all three formats,” Clarke told ESPN’s Around The Wicket.
“I know a lot of great fast bowlers, Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath, didn’t get to play T20 cricket, so I’m not talking about those guys, but in regards to anyone who has played all three formats, I think he might be the best ever. He’s actually that good in any conditions, that’s what makes him great; any conditions, any format, this guy’s a freak.”
Bumrah nearly flipped the MCG Test on its head with his explosion on the fourth afternoon, took six wickets in the first innings at the Gabba, and dominated Australia in Perth with eight wickets. Then, early in Australia’s first innings at the SCG, he dismissed Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, the former after a run-in with Sam Konstas. However, on the second day, with the game hanging in the balance, he was only able to manage one over after lunch.
“I reckon India were probably 20 runs short [in Sydney],” Clarke said. “I reckon a 180 lead, with Bumrah in the team, I think India are home. I think Bumrah is that good… he’s so much better than the other bowlers they had in the team.”
“Australia were prepared to play the long game with Jasprit Bumrah,” Finch told Around The Wicket. “They wanted to make him bowl over and over and over, make him come back for one more spell, bowl another three, four, five [more] overs and in the end, it worked, they broke him in the end. They played that long game, they won.
“Had he bowled in the last innings in Sydney, would Australia have got over the line? Think they still just get over the line, but it would have been a lot more difficult than it was.”