NEW DELHI: Pace spearhead
Jasprit Bumrah
on Monday acknowledged teammates
Mohammed Shami
and Ravichandran Ashwin are in the twilight of their Test careers as he assumes the crucial role of bridging the gap between the old guard and the emerging talents in Indian Test bowling.
At 30, Bumrah has solidified his position among Indian cricket's elite match-winners, earning a spot in the revered 'Fab-Five' list of pacers, which includes the legendary Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath and the skilled exponents of reverse swing Zaheer Khan and Shami.
After achieving the milestone of becoming the second-fastest Asian pacer to reach 150 wickets in his 34th game, Bumrah said he's fully aware that he is now the leader of the pack.
Amid the transitional phase in Indian cricket, Bumrah now shoulders the responsibility of guiding emerging talents like Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan, who are waiting in the wings.
"We're going through a transition so I feel it's my responsibility to help them in any way I can," Bumrah, who got 'Player of the Match' for his nine-wicket haul in the 106-run win over England in the second Test here, said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
He has played very less Test cricket in India but has staggering statistics on pitches not traditionally conducive for fast bowling. In six Tests he has played in India, Bumrah has 29 wickets.
"As I said before, I don't look at numbers. As a youngster, I did that and it made me excited. But now it's an added baggage as you are already playing for India," he said.
The in-swinging yorker that bamboozled an in-form Ollie Pope has been the talk of the town and Bumrah said, "As a youngster, that is the first delivery I learned (yorker)."
"I used to think that it is the only way to get wickets. I had seen the legends of the game. Waqar, Wasim and even Zaheer Khan."
He shares a nice rapport with his skipper
Rohit Sharma
, someone who has seen him as a 20-year-old in Mumbai Indians.
"We discuss certain things. I have been playing with him for a long period of time (Rohit)."
Bumrah paid tribute to England veteran James Anderson and insisted that there is no competition as good fast bowling for him is always a nice spectacle.
"No not really. Before a cricketer, I'm a fast bowling fan. If somebody's doing well, kudos to them. I look at the situation, at the wicket and think what are my options. I should not be a one-trick pony."
(With inputs from PTI)
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