Former Australian Captain Michael Clarke was in awe of Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah after his blitzkrieg in second Test between against England in Vizag. Clarke called Bumrah a 'freak', wondering how the India pacer was able to pick up as many as nine wickets on a pitch that was not the best wicket for fast bowlers, as Indian pitches tend to aid the spinners a lot. India ended up beating England by 106 runs in the second Test to avenge their Hyderabad match defeat.
Bumrah broke England's back
Jasprit Bumrah picked up six wickets in the first innings against England in Vizag and three wickets in the second innings, which earned him the Player of the Match award. The highlight was Bumrah's reverse-swinging yorker to Ollie Pope, which left cricket fans all over the world in awe.
Bumrah's big milestone
After India's 106-run victory in Vizag, Bumrah was named the new number one ranked bowler in Test cricket, making him the first bowler in the history of the game to achieve the historic feat of being ranked in all three formats at least once. He is also only the fifth cricketer, after Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Virat Kohli, and Shakib Al Hasan, to achieve this.
Bumrah is unbelievable: Clarke
"James Anderson, with the ball was phenomenal in the 2nd Test, on a flat batting pitch that did not have much for the fast bowlers. And Bumrah, what can you say! He is a freak. His skill use in conditions that are not conducive to fast-bowling, uff, it's unbelievable. He is a freak," Michael Clarke told ESPN.
Clarke also praised James Anderson, saying the 41-year-old doesn't have to stop if he continues bowling like how he did in the second Test.
"A big part of greatness is longevity, no matter what you do. He has gone through those highs and lows. Yes, he has had some injuries. But, to be able to play this amount of cricket over that amount of time is phenomenal. Again, I think he showed his class and skill in that Test match," he added.
"Phenomenal effort, physical, mental and the demands for a fast bowler are more for a fast bowler now than ever.
"His record in England is crazy. There is always talk that he can only play in his own backyard. But he continues to show that's not the case. I think he is a significant part of this team as well. I think Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum like him being a part of this group. And it doesn't look like he is going to stop. If he keeps bowling the way he bowled in the second Test match, he has got a lot more cricket left in him," he added.
The third Test between India and England is set to start from February 15 in Rajkot, and fans across the world will be waiting to see both of these phenomenal fast bowlers and how they perform in the remaining series.
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