5 times Bharat Arun changed the trajectory of an Indian cricketer's career ft. Mohammed Siraj
Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun has played a massive role in the development of India's pace attack during his tenure with the national team. At one point, India were not known for fast bowling and struggled to trouble batters or take wickets overseas, as a result of which the national team also failed to dominate or win games away from home in Test cricket.
However, there has been a significant change in this narrative, as Indian fast bowling has seen a whole new chapter, with the attack emerging as one of the most lethal pace bowling attacks in the world, which has enabled India to compete and win playing anywhere.
A lot of credit for the same goes to Bharat Arun, who was the fast-bowling coach of the Indian team from 2014 to 2016 and then from 2017 till the end of the 2021 T20 World Cup. He has helped many Indian cricketers come back and better their careers.
On that note, let us take a look at the five times Bharat Arun changed the trajectory of an Indian cricketer's career.
5 times Bharat Arun changed the trajectory of an Indian cricketer's career
#5 Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is among the greatest pacers in the world at the moment. He has evolved into a phenomenon in all formats and is the leader of India's pace attack. Bharat Arun's sight of Bumrah goes back to when the pacer was a part of India's U19 camp in his early days.
Bumrah was working on a lot of pace and was quick. However, unimpressed with his unique bowling action at first, Arun suggested he change the same. Later on though, Arun found out that a change in action would not help and realized that his unorthodox action made it difficult for batters to read him.
Arun then had a meeting with the strength and conditioning coach along with the physio to undermine the side effects of his action. It was concluded that his action would put a lot of pressure on his back and he was advised to work on strengthening his body. Bumrah was handed his Test cap when Arun was the bowling coach and the rest is history, as they say.
#4 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
India's pace spearhead at one point, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has also credited Bharat Arun in the past. Back in 2017, Bhuvneshwar stated that Arun helped him maintain swing at an extra pace (as reported by The Times of India).
Bhuvneshwar did not have an extreme pace and when he increased his pace, he lost his ability to swing the ball like he used to. However, he credited coach Arun, who helped him increase his speed. His pace went up from the 128 kph mark to 138 kph without losing out on his ability to swing the ball.
"He (Arun) doesn't tinker with the technique, he only provides helpful inputs. When I increased my pace, I lost my swing. But Arun helped me in getting my swing back. He is somebody who manages bowlers really well," the pacer was quoted as saying.
#3 Ishant Sharma
The former bowling coach highlighted a key adjustment in Ishant Sharma’s approach, aimed at transforming his style from merely containing runs to becoming a more attacking bowler. Although Ishant was consistent, he needed to make the batters play more often. The tweak involved modifying his angle of delivery, starting from how he gripped the ball.
At the time, Ishant tended to bowl close to the stumps, but his delivery angle needed refinement. The coach emphasized the importance of adjusting his wrist position for improved ball release, which could significantly enhance his effectiveness.
Ishant was instructed to deliver from the center of the crease, with particular attention to targeting left-handers. This approach prioritized accuracy while utilizing the around-the-stumps angle to create a greater challenge for opposing batters.
#2 Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami has evolved among India's most consistent wicket-takers and has formed a lethal pair along with Jasprit Bumrah. There was a time in 2018 when Shami was not at his best mentally and wanted to quit the game. Shami approached Bharat Arun and informed him about the same.
Arun then took Shami to Ravi Shastri and they then gave him the confidence he needed to revive his career. Shami was sent to the National Cricket Academy and he came out stronger than ever. Since then, although he has faced injuries, there has been no turning around and he has been one of the pillars of the Indian pace attack.
While Shami possessed an impressive run-up and a smooth release, his balance was a limiting factor in generating the desired power. His inability to channel adequate force into his deliveries stemmed from this technical shortcoming. Arun played a pivotal role in refining Shami’s technique, focusing on improving his balance to help him utilize his full potential.
#1 Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj struggled during the Bangladesh and New Zealand series, losing his spot at one point in the side. However, he bounced back in the first Test against Australia in Perth, taking five wickets across both innings. Siraj credited former bowling coach Bharat Arun for helping him regain his confidence.
Arun, who knows Siraj well, advised him to focus on targeting the off-stump and enjoying the process rather than chasing wickets.
“I spoke with Bharat Arun sir, that this is what's happening with me, because he has known me for a while and he has seen my bowling from long time back. So, he just told me to enjoy and not run after wickets," Siraj was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.