Jasprit Bumrah’s background in SA may be the remedy Rainbow Nation needs for India. The return of Jasprit Bumrah following the 2023 World Cup is wonderful news for India.
Bumrah’s depth of experience in the Rainbow Nation might be extremely beneficial to his teammates as well as the national squad, especially with the Test series against South Africa approaching.
Having played two Test tours of South Africa, Bumrah knows what it takes for a bowler to take full advantage of the conditions in the Rainbow Nation.
In terms of the most wickets an Indian bowler has taken in Test matches played in South Africa, Bumrah is now ranked sixth.
All six of his Test matches against the Proteas have taken place in South Africa. The thirty-year-old actually made his professional debut in South Africa over six years ago, and he hasn’t looked back since.
In those six Test matches, Bumrah has claimed 26 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. Only Mohammed Shami, Venkatesh Prasad, Javagal Srinath, and Sreesanth have had several fifers in South Africa Tests, along with Bumrah.
The Ahmedabad-born Bumrah secured his first wicket in 2018 at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, finishing with figures of 18.5-2-54-5 in the opening innings. India lost the series 1-2, however they won the match by a score of 63 runs.
Then, in January 2022, Bumrah received his second fifer in South Africa following his performance at the Newlands in Cape Town, where he scored 23.3-8-42-5. After Bumrah’s heroics in the first innings, the hosts prevailed by seven wickets this time.
An advantage for people like Siraj?
Mohammed Siraj is the only bowler on the current South Africa Test team that has played in a Test match, aside from Bumrah. However, Siraj’s previous experience was not great as he managed to take just three wickets at an average of 51 in two matches.
This is where Bumrah comes in as a mentor, not just to Siraj but also to people like Shardul Thakur, Mukesh Kumar, and Prasidh Krishna. In conditions that should favour fast bowlers, Bumrah will lead the attack. Nonetheless, he has a greater responsibility to bring the others along.
Bumrah faces a struggle in the absence of Shami, who finished last time out in the South Africa Tests as India’s highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps.
Considering the abilities he possesses to regularly excel at the international level, he is expected to make the most of his first opportunity at playing Test cricket, despite not having played since the fifth Test against England was postponed at Edgbaston in Birmingham last year.
The challenge of altitude
There may be differences between bowling in South Africa and other countries. Arshdeep Singh claimed that the high altitude of the Wanderers was causing him to lose air after he took his first-ever five-wicket haul in an ODI earlier this month.
Shardul Thakur also discussed the importance of acclimating to the high altitude conditions before to the first test. Even though bowlers, particularly those from the subcontinent, sometimes face difficult circumstances, Bumrah can offer advice on how to quickly adapt to the new circumstances.
The first Test is scheduled to begin at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on December 26. In order for India to reverse the odds and win a Test series in South Africa, Bumrah must perform at the highest level both as a bowler and as a mentor.
