3 reasons why Jasprit Bumrah might be the perfect bowler across all formats
Jasprit Bumrah is a sorcerer at work. After all, when he has the ball in hand, he can get any batter in front of him dancing to his tunes. A good account of the same was presented at The Oval on Tuesday (July 12) as he registered his best ODI figures of 6/19.
India opted to field in overcast conditions in the first ODI against England. In the company of Mohammad Shami, Bumrah razed through the hosts' top-order and reduced it to rubble in no time. All hopes of a recovery were doused even before the hosts could gather themselves as they were shot out for a paltry 110.
wickets in England in an ODI match 
Jasprit Bumrah becomes the first Indian pacer to take 6️⃣ wickets in England in an ODI match 🔥🇮🇳
WHAT A PLAYER 👏
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His consistency and record across all formats of the game adds weight to the fact that he's arguably the best all-format bowler in the world. We dissect three reasons as to why that notion holds good.
#1 Seamless adaptability across formats
It's as good as stating the bleeding obvious when I say that Jasprit Bumrah is currently India's best all-format bowler. One of the major reasons behind that is the manner in which he transitions from one format to another.
The Gujarat seamer has given a good indication of the same during the ongoing tour of England. Having captained the Indian team in the Edgbaston Test, he put on a stellar showing with the ball to break the back of England's top-order in the first innings of the match.
Soon after, he returned to the same venue for the 2nd T20I and sent down a wicket maiden in the powerplay, casting Liam Livingstone in the process. Despite playing a completely different format in his next game, Bumrah didn't disappoint as he ripped England's batting unit to shreds in the Oval ODI.
Quite clearly, the superstar fast-bowler transitions between formats like the back of his hand, making him the best in the business.
#2 Clarity of thought
A penny for Jasprit Bumrah's thoughts post the first ODI against England? When quizzed about the shift in mentality from one-day mode to Test match mode owing to the swing on offer, here's what he said:
"That's the easiest part isn't it? Because when the ball is doing something you don't have to try too much or...do a lot. You just have to keep the ball in the right areas and let the ball do on its own.
But when the wicket is flat then your accuracy is being tested. Then you want to curtail runs and you don't want to give away a lot of runs to keep the game in check. So yeah when the ball is swinging it's a good place to be in."
If anything, these words reflect a clarity in the seamer's thought process when he has the ball in hand. Be it with the white ball in limited-overs cricket or the red/pink ball in Test cricket, the pace spearhead knows what is required to adapt to different conditions.
His numbers only vindicate the notion even further, justifying why his clarity in approach makes him the perfect all-format bowler.
#3 Jasprit Bumrah has his fundamentals in check
Do you agree with Nasser Hussain? 🤔
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It might well sound like a cliche, but sticking to the basics is the best recipe for sustained success in cricket. Jasprit Bumrah certainly keeps it simple and that has influenced his journey to become the best in the business.
Pace, swing, and a metronomic radar - he has it all in the right proportions. The last of those, in particular, ensures that his pace comes with purpose while he always has a lethal yorker that he can turn to on a flat surface.
And where do we even get started on his dexterous slower delivery? Remember THAT delivery he sent down to Shaun Marsh in Melbourne in 2018? It tells you everything you need to know.
Yet, what's best about Bumrah is that he uses his variations as variations alone, without compromising on the fundamental aspects of fast-bowling. We're in the midst of greatness and quite clearly, the best across formats in this era.
Also read: "GOAT of fast bowling, precious diamond of Indian cricket"- Twitter reacts as Jasprit Bumrah becomes world No. 1 ODI bowler