Presenting Bhuvneshwar Kumar version 2.0

December 25, 2012, when the world was engrossed in the ecstasy of Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, a skinny medium pacer from Meerut was sitting in the dressing room, mindfully portraying the scenarios he would be encountering on his maiden appearance for India. An Indo-Pak contest is an auspicious occasion, but a psychologically taxing one for a debutant.

The deck at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Bangalore is a traditional graveyard for bowlers and isn’t ideal for a pacer to foray into international cricket. Nevertheless, it was an opportunity for Bhuvneshwar Kumar to display his prowess. However, it also came with the danger of him being bashed into ignominy. The nerves jangled and thoughts engulfed him as he marked his run-up. However, the script had something else in the store.

Bang, Bang, Bang.

The rookie outdrew Pakistan’s big guns. The ball swung left, right and centre and the likes of Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal were caught napping. After wreaking havoc, the nerves settled for Bhuvi and he finished his quota by conceding 9 runs. Soon after, he was drafted into the ODI and Test team.

It didn’t take much time for him to become India’s bowling spearhead as he consistently churned out early wickets. In a canter, his life changed from obscurity to stardom. Sounds like a fairytale? It indeed was one. But the journey had just taken off and paths ahead were a blur. However, the roads held significance for Bhuvi as it would eventually define his character and tenacity as a sportsman.

Fairytale turning nightmare

Bhuvneshwar’s ability to jag the ball along with hitting immaculate channels were his assets. Nevertheless, in a generation of bio-mechanical technology, it’s isn’t rocket-science to decipher the tricks of a bowler. With the passage of time, batsmen figured him out and his ‘assets’ gradually took the shape of ‘predictability’.

He dished out the same lengths in the death overs and consequently, was taken to the cleaners. He got a solitary game in the 2015 World Cup against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and bowled fairly. However, it was evident that he tried to hit the pitch hard and focus on pace, which wasn’t his forte. Meanwhile, his strength to move the leather was kept aside.

October 25, 2015- Wankhede Stadium at Mumbai, another nightmare for bowlers, was set for the deciding ODI between India and South Africa. India lost the toss and ever since, nothing went right for the Men in Blue, neither did it go for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The Proteas racked up 438 runs and Bhuvi conceded 106 of them.

The 18 boundaries (12 fours and 6 sixes) worsened his figures as Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers laid into him. His swing was neutralised, he was thrown off his line and lengths, which rattled him. It was not that he wasn’t trying, it was also not because he lost self-belief; rather, it was his inability to bowl at the death.

His lean body didn’t help him either as it didn’t allow him to execute the yorkers to perfection. By then, the world knew that Bhuvneshwar was one-dimensional. All of a sudden, from being India’s lead-bowler, he was in danger of being evicted from the national team. After a couple of lacklustre shows in India’s tour of Australia in January 2016, he had to wait one year for his next ODI cap.

He was evicted from India’s World T20 campaign in 2016, he wasn’t a regular fixture in the Test team either. His struggles amplified at an alarming rate as he gaped vacuously at his capsizing career. The heat of playing at the highest level hurtled him.

Nonetheless, the story was far from being over.

Version 2.0- Reloaded and rejuvenated

The noticeable aspect was his difficulties. The inconspicuous element was the grilling he pained through during the challenges. Bhuvi was too stout to be bogged down. He stormed his way back and re-stamped his authority on the game. While stalwarts like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are struggling to claim a spot in all three formats, the right-arm pacer has well and truly established his place, both in white and coloured clothing for India.

He is a transformed cricketer from what he used to be earlier. His bowling has increased in pace, he spears in yorkers with precision and most importantly, he is now a bowler for all situations and conditions. Above all, he hasn’t forgotten how to make the leather talk. Opposition batsmen still fancy their chances against Bhuvi, but now he has the answers to every charge they make towards him.

He hardly gets ruffled by a couple of lusty blows; he has refurbished his armoury enough to counter every punch; he doesn’t shy away from shouldering responsibilities- the travails of his career made him an improved version of his previous self. Bhuvi doesn’t mind playing the role of an aggressor with the ball. The pacer goes for wickets and that’s what bifurcates him from many of his counterparts.

The pitch at the Eden Gardens indeed favoured bowlers, but it still required the appropriate skills to ruffle the feathers of the Sri Lankan batsmen. Bhuvi took charge and almost won India the game. The aggression in his eyes was palpable and he outdrew almost everyone who stumbled onto his path.

The revamped version of Bhuvneshwar Kumar is much more intriguing. Staying away from your passion might look punishing, but it makes you realise the value of the life you have been missing. Subsequently, you work out of your skins to earn your ‘life’ back.

Mike Rosenberg in his song ‘Let Her Go’ has rightly said

“Well you only need the light when it’s burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go”

For Bhuvi, cricket is LIGHT, cricket is SUN, and most importantly, cricket is his LOVE and will always be.