Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee reserved blockbuster praise for India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who leads the wicket-taking charts in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Bumrah has picked up 21 wickets so far in three Tests, and single-handedly won India the series opener in Perth last month. While Australia outplayed India in the last two Tests, Bumrah’s performances have not dropped one bit. There has been much criticism of India’s other frontline pacers, especially Mohammed Siraj.
Despite bagging 13 wickets so far, Siraj has been criticised for not playing the ideal support act at times. However, Lee defended Siraj and said that Bumrah has set a benchmark so high that it often overshadows the contributions of his fellow pacers.
“He is world class, Jasprit Bumrah. Unfortunately, they had no Mohammed Shami, but I think the backing of Mohammed Siraj-there has been a bit of conjecture around him but I think he has bowled really well,” said Lee.
Lee feels Bumrah is way ahead of any other bowler in the world.
“In my opinion, they have an attack that has some good pace bowlers, but the reason why people say or think he is shouldering the whole load of the attack is that he is so good. He (Bumrah) is miles ahead of any other bowler, and that is no disrespect to the other bowlers going around, but that is how good he is,” the pace great added.
Bumrah, India’s player of the series so far, took nine wickets in the third Test at Brisbane.
He was player of the match in India’s 295-run victory in Perth in the opening Test, before the hosts levelled the series in Adelaide.
He is the leading bowler on either side, with 21 wickets in the series so far, and he has a scarcely believable average of 10.90.
Bumrah, captaining in the first Test in the absence of Rohit Sharma, made life hell for the Australian batsmen on a bouncing Perth pitch.
He took 5-30 from 18 overs as the hosts were shot out for 104 and followed up with 3-42 in the second innings as India won by 295 runs.
(With AFP Inputs)
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