On Wednesday, a video clip went viral on social media, young boys in England playing fun cricket and one of them imitating Jasprit Bumrah’s action. The Indian fast bowler has always been a galactico, but the ongoing Test series has given him a cult status.
The official recognition of Bumrah’s superiority came on the same day, with the ICC Men’s Test Bowling rankings confirming him as the world’s best bowler (No.1). For the first time ever, an Indian pacer has risen to the top, which is certainly a historic moment for the country’s cricket.
For so long, India was known as the land of spin. Before Bumrah, the three previous number ones were spinners – Late Bishan Bedi, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. There was a time when Kapil Dev was India’s tenuous link to pace bowling. Things started to change since the turn of the century. Bumrah’s rise to the top marks a paradigm shift.
Interestingly, Bumrah toppled Ashwin to claim the No. 1 spot. The latter held the position since March last year. The honour came on the heels of Bumrah’s game haul of 9-91 in the second Test against England in Vizag. It was a match-winning effort, in conditions that hardly assisted fast bowling. During the course of the match, the 30-year-old also became the fastest Indian seamer to reach 150 Test wickets.
“Jasprit Bumrah has become the first India pacer to top the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings after an outstanding performance in the second match of their ICC World Test Championship series against England in Visakhapatnam,” said the ICC release.
It added: “The 30-year-old’s nine-wicket match haul has helped him leapfrog Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada and Ravichandran Ashwin, making him only the fourth from his country to attain number one position after spinners Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Bishan Singh Bedi.”
Bumrah now has a tally of 881 rating points, but more than the numbers, it’s about the aura that India’s Test vice-captain has created, and the accolades which are pouring in. “Bumrah single-handedly changed the course of the game,” former England captain Alastair Cook told TNT Sports. Another ex-England captain, Nasser Hussain, doffed his hat to a “genius”.
Bumrah is also the only bowler to reach the No. 1 ranking in all three formats.