Earlier this year, Shastri had lauded Bumrah’s unwavering commitment to Test cricket, emphasizing the pacer’s desire to break away from the stereotype of being labelled as a “white-ball specialist.”
Shastri’s admiration for Bumrah’s journey from being labelled a white-ball specialist to becoming the top-ranked Test bowler underscores the importance of embracing challenges in cricket’s pinnacle format.
And now Shastri revealed a compliment for Bumrah that came from none other than former West Indies great fast bowler Andy Roberts.
Speaking on Star Sports, Shastri disclosed that following Jasprit Bumrah’s devastating performance in a two-Test series in the Caribbean in 2019, Andy Roberts and Curtly Ambrose approached the Indian pacer.
In two Test matches, India defeated the West Indies in Antigua and Jamaica, winning both by a margin of more than 200 runs. Bumrah claimed 13 wickets in the matches, including a hat-trick.
“The ultimate compliment for Jasprit Bumrah came in 2019. When I was coach here and we were playing a Test series and he dismantled the West Indies in 2-and-a-half or three days in the two Tests matches. And Andy Roberts walked up to him in Antigua. Andy and Curtly (Ambrose) together. Andy walked up to him and said ‘You, young man could have taken the new ball in our era’.
“You will not get a bigger compliment than that. Roberts was the leader of the pack that had Marshall, Garner, Croft, and Holding. No better compliment than that for Jasprit Bumrah. That was in 2019, he has come along leaps and bounds since then,” Shastri said.
“His release point. From where Mohammed Siraj releases the ball to where Jasprit Bumrah releases the ball is 48 cm. And with a straight wrist. Normally when you release the ball from ahead, it has to be a bouncer. When you release the ball from behind, it’s pitched. But from there, to be able to yorker at will, to bowl the bouncer and bowl a hard length, that’s amazing. That’s what separates him from the rest. The pace might say 140 kph, but it’s hitting the ball a lot harder,” Shastri said.
With 15 wickets, Bumrah finished the T20 World Cup as the third highest wicket-taker. The India pace spearhead was adjudged the Player of the Tournament as his team stayed undefeated.
In the final, Jasprit Bumrah took 2 wickets as India turned the tables with their scintillating show and emerge victorious to end an 11-year-long global trophy drought by restricting South Africa to 169/8.