Bumrah’s dominance in Border-Gavaskar Trophy one of the finest by a subcontinent pacer, says Varun Aaron

Bumrah’s dominance in Border-Gavaskar Trophy one of the finest by a subcontinent pacer, says Varun Aaron

Former India pacer Varun Aaron on Saturday compared Jasprit Bumrah’s ability to control the ball to that of the legendary Wasim Akram, praising Bumrah’s performance in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“That was one of the finest series I’ve seen an Indian fast bowler deliver, at least in my time watching cricket. He had the ball on a string and could do whatever he wanted with it. The last time I saw a subcontinental fast bowler dominate in such a manner was Wasim Akram — he could make the ball do exactly what he wanted, and that’s precisely what Bumrah achieved this time,” Aaron said at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur.

Aaron highlighted Bumrah’s exceptional use of his natural attributes. “I think he makes the best use of his biggest asset — pace off the wicket. No matter how many times a batter faces Bumrah, they can never truly line him up because he’s so quick off the deck. That’s due to his hyper-mobility and the extra whip he generates at the end of his action. That’s his greatest strength,” he said.

The 35-year-old stressed that India needs to develop a strong pace attack around Bumrah.

“India still has work to do in building a support system around Bumrah. In the BGT series, he was the standout bowler — no one else came close. If India wants to win more overseas tours, that gap needs to be narrowed.

“It’s a matter of experience. India has a young fast-bowling unit, apart from Bumrah. Even (Mohammed) Siraj, though promising, hasn’t been around for long. The more they play, the better they will become,” he added.

Aaron also underlined the importance of increasing awareness about the causes of injuries in fast bowlers, suggesting that such knowledge could help in reducing their occurrence among young pacers.

“Fast bowling is one of the most unnatural movements for the human body in sport. The body simply isn’t designed to bowl fast day in and day out. That’s why, no matter how fit a fast bowler is, no matter how well they look after themselves, and regardless of the support system around them, injuries are inevitable. I believe it’s important for those who have played at a high level to raise awareness about why injuries occur. Perhaps this could help prevent injuries in younger bowlers,” he said.

Aaron, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in January, expressed his desire to have played more matches for India, admitting that injuries limited his career.

He also shared a memorable anecdote from his Test debut against the West Indies in Mumbai in November 2011, involving the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

“One moment that stands out is a chat I had with Sachin on my debut. He was at mid-off, and I hadn’t taken a wicket in my first 20 overs. He told me, ‘I know you’re disappointed, but I waited 20 years to win a World Cup. You can wait 20 overs for your first wicket.’ That really put things into perspective for me. Shortly after, I picked up three wickets. It’s one of those conversations that stays with you,” he said.