Makhaya Ntini talks about the art and science of Jasprit Bumrah's bowling action

Former South Africa fast bowler Makhaya Ntini lavished praise on Jasprit Bumrah, stating India are not the same bowling unit without the 30-year-old. The ace India speedster has returned to action during the opening Test against the Proteas in Centurion after more than a year. He last played a red-ball game in India's rescheduled Test match against England in July 2022 and was later sidelined due to a back injury and returned in 2023.

Ntini was fully enchanted with the way Bumrah bowled his deliveries, stating it seemed like the latter has powerful wrists. The former Proteas pacer went on to highlight his yorkers and opined how the Indian team have benefited from his services. 

“Look where Bumrah releases the ball. He releases the ball from the top of his head. So, he gets the angle to bring the ball back in. He can get deliveries to straighten after pitching. I don't know if he has powerful wrists and action is always the same, that's how beautiful it is," Ntini was quoted as saying by India Today.

"His yorkers, he doesn't miss any, those are the things everyone gets to enjoy. India isn't the [same] team without Bumrah,” the 46-year-old added.

Bumrah has been exceptional since his return to international level

Jasprit Bumrah had missed the 2022 T20 World Cup, the Border Gavaskar Trophy, and the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition due to his back injury. The 30-year-old had undergone surgery in New Zealand and returned to action as the T20I captain in India's Ireland series. He had been brilliant since his return to international setup.

He enjoyed a successful Cricket World Cup campaign where India emerged as the runners-up after suffering a six-wicket defeat against Australia in the final. His noteworthy performance came against arch-rivals Pakistan in Ahmedabad where he finished with figures of 2/19 and went on to win the Player of the Match. The fast bowler has bowled the most dot balls in the marquee event and finished as India's second-highest wicket-taker with 20 wickets.