Adelaide: Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie felt the current Indian bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah makes the team one of the favourites for the upcoming ICC World Cup, alongside host England. The attack is well balanced. Bumrah has been rested for a reason, but the bowling line-up is still quite good, said Gillespie. “Everyone offers different things, and you add Bumrah to it, so it is well placed to mount a challenge for the WC. England is the obvious favourite, but India won’t be far behind,” he insisted.
Gillespie singled out Bumrah for special praise and said the young right-arm pacer’s unorthodox action makes him a different bowler from others. “I enjoy watching him bowl. He just ambles in but when he gets to the crease, he almost has a slingshot action. He bowls at good pace, hurries the batsmen up, and he can also change his pace a lot. He is a very fine bowler,” said the 43-year-old.
His action does stand out. It is a braced front leg, delayed bowling arm action. It gets you to the crease quickly, and delivers that sling shot. It is what generates his pace. But you need to be strong to be able to do that. He is robust and fit to bowl long spells in Test cricket. He keeps his pace up throughout a Test and this is what makes him an exciting bowler, added Gillespie.
India and Australia are tied at 1-1 in the ongoing three-match ODI series. The Australian team, which is currently going through a rebuilding phase, is eyeing its first ODI series win since January 2017. Gillespie stated it is the best opportunity for youngsters to stake a claim in the WC-bound team.
“Obviously it is missing a couple of key players from both batting and bowling perspectives. But the team will look very different at the WC. So, it is a wonderful opportunity for these guys and selectors to look at different options in pressure situations,” said the Adelaide Strikers coach.