Tokyo Olympics gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has specific advice for his favourite Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah that can help him increase his pace. Chopra was at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad when India lost the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 final to Australia. Chopra feels adding a few yards to his runup can do wonders for India’s fast-bowling spearhead.
“I like Jasprit Bumrah, I find his action unique. I feel he should lengthen his run-up to add more pace,” he said on the Indian Express’ Idea Exchange.
Bumrah was in fine form in the tournament. He picked up 20 wickets and did not leak boundaries whether it was with the new ball or the old.
Chopra revealed that the javelin throwers often discuss how bowlers can boost their pace.
“As a javelin thrower, we often discuss how bowlers can increase their pace if they start their run-up from a little further back. I like Bumrah’s style,” the 25-year-old said.
On November 17, Neeraj reached the stadium when India had already lost a few wickets. He shared his experience of watching the all-important final.
“This was the first time I watched a match fully. When I was on the flight, India had lost three wickets already.
“Virat (Kohli) bhai and KL Rahul were batting when I reached. There are some technical things that I don’t understand.
“Batting in the daytime wasn’t very easy. In the evening, I think, batting became easy. But our guys tried. Sometimes, it’s just not our day. But, frankly, everyone had a great tournament."
Chopra also explained how Australia managed to dominate a team that won 10 matches on the trot to make it to the final.
“Maybe, somewhere mentally, the Australian team held an edge at the start. When they bowled, I found they had a strong mindset. In the end, they had completely flipped it over. They were confident about their game,” he said.
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