Jasprit Bumrah best death bowler in the world, says former Australia pacer Shaun Tait

Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah made an impressive return to international cricket on Sunday when he took three wickets for 16 runs against Australia in the first T20I in Visakhapatnam. After India put up a disappointing total of 126 for 7 even after making a promising start, it was left to the bowlers to defend the total and the spearhead did his bit flawlessly. Australia required 16 runs in the last two overs to win the game and Bumrah gave just two in the penultimate over and also picked two wickets. India had Australia in the coffin but failed to get the nails in as Umesh Yadav conceded the remaining 14 to allow the visitors go 1-0 up in the two-game series.

Irrespective of the game’s result, Bumrah earned praises from both camps. Indian captain Virat Kohli said after the match that “Bumrah can do wonders” and was pleased that the hosts had taken the game till the last ball. His Australian counterpart Aaron Finch also lauded Bumrah saying it becomes harder for the batsmen if he has overs left at the death. Finch’s words were echoed by former Aussie speedster Shaun Tait who felt that the 25-year-old Indian pacer is the best death bowler in the world.

Best death bowler in the world

Bumrah, who became the second Indian bowler to complete 50 wickets in T20Is after Ravichandran Ashwin with his three-for in Vizag, bowls his yorkers perfectly in the death overs to deny the batsmen any chance of getting the runs. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Tait said: “He (Jasprit Bumrah) summed up the conditions really well.

He obviously saw the Australians, he bashed the ball into the pitch, if that makes sense, on that pitch. He bowled a good length and Handscomb could not pick him up, who is a genuine batsman. So, he got his yorkers really well. But also, he bowls that heavy length bowl at the right time, which I think he bowled really well. At the end of the day, he is the best death bowler in the world, there is no surprise in that,” Tait has taken 90 international wickets for Australia between 2005 and 2016.

Bumrah, who is the top-ranked bowler in ODIs at the moment as per the ICC’s listing, was rested for the limited-overs series in Australia and New Zealand following his eye-catching performance in the Test series Down Under. The Indian team management wants to use the bowler judiciously ahead of the ICC World Cup starting May and hence he is being picked series-wise.

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