Dennis Lillee compares Jasprit Bumrah with his one-time partner

Days after former Australian great Glenn McGrath praised him, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has now received accolades from another legendary Aussie pacer in the name of Dennis Lillee. One of the best fast bowlers the history of the game has seen, Lillee has even compared the young Indian pacer with his opening partner Jeff Thomson, adding that he is “outside the guidelines of normal fast bowling”.

Seen more as a material suitable for the limited-overs versions, Bumrah made his Test debut against South Africa only this year and in eight games played in less than a year, he has already picked up 39 scalps, just nine short of his tally of 48 in 40 T20Is. He has been one of the key members of India’s famed Test bowling attack of these times and has already picked up 11 wickets in the two matches that they have played against Australia Down Under on this tour.

“I think Jasprit Bumrah is very interesting. He runs off a very short run-up. He jogs and then bowls with a very short run. He has got straight arms. His bowling is not text book by any means, but it works. He is very different from other pace bowlers, which reminds me of another fast bowler of my era, who as very different from everyone else – Jeff Thomson,” Times of India cited reports as quoting the 69-year-old former cricketer.

Lillee and Thomson hunted in a pair in the 1970s and 1980s and were the most dreaded bowlers of their era. Together, they have 555 wickets in Test cricket.

The legend also said that even though Bumrah is not as fast as Thomson, but like the latter, he too bowls outside the guidelines of normal fast bowling technique.

Lillee praises India’s fast bowling standards

Lillee, who was once the director of the MRF Pace Foundation, is also impressed with the Indian fast bowlers saying the country is producing quality pacers now. He, however, still put the Australian pacers ahead of India in the ongoing series and said the presence of Nathan Lyon was helped them in sharing the workload.

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