Jasprit Bumrah Gets Serious Warning From Australian Legend

Jasprit Bumrah got injured in England ODIs | PC- AFP

Jasprit Bumrah has returned to the Indian Test fold for the Sri Lanka tour after missing the one-off match against Afghanistan earlier this year. The 32-year-old played two ODIs in England before getting his knee injury.

Regardless of the injuries, Bumrah is considered one of the best fast bowlers to have ever represented India. That said, he has been criticised time and again for getting injured.

Glenn McGrath calls Jasprit Bumrah a spring chicken, urges him to work on fitness

Known for not mincing words, former Australian bowler Glenn McGrath, who works closely at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, called Jasprit Bumrah "a spring chicken" - a term known to someone who is still young. 

However, the legendary Australian advised the pacer with unorthodox action to work on his fitness and decide which format he solely wants to play. Furthermore, the three-time World Champion praised the modern-day great by calling him a class and quality bowler.  

“Well again it’s up to him what he wants. How old’s (Jasprit) Bumrah now? 31- 32? He’s only a spring chicken. So he’s got to find a way to have a bit of longevity. He’s had a few injuries unfortunately, but he’s class, a quality bowler. Just see what he wants to do. That’s what it comes down to: whether he wants to focus on Test cricket or whether he just wants to play T20. It also depends on his body. And like I said, guys who hyper-extend their arm do place a bit more stress through that joint there. So we’ll see what the future holds," Glenn McGrath said while serving in the MRF Pace Foundation. 

Glenn McGrath, a big fan of Prasidh Krishna

Moreover, Glenn McGrath called himself a "big fan of Prasidh Krishna". The prolific seamer, with 949 international wickets, applauded the lanky Indian seamer for filling in for Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah in the transitional period. 

“I’m a big fan of Prasidh as well. It’s always a big ask to fill the shoes of Shami and Bumrah, so it’s always going to be a transitional period."

The former Australian fast bowler called Krishna a whole package, as he possesses all the qualities- height, speed, bounce, accuracy, and aggression- to succeed at the highest level. That said, he called out the 30-year-old for overdoing and getting short on occasions. 

“He’s tall, bowls good areas, gets that bounce and pace. It’s the whole package, really. He was very much an enforcer when he bowled — just the way he went through the crease, the pace he was bowling at, the bounce, and the areas. Occasionally, he was a little bit short, but apart from that, he impressed me," the former Australian fast bowler said.

Jasprit Bumrah vs Prasidh Krishna in numbers

Although there's no comparison whatsoever between Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna, just for argument's sake, here are their stats across formats and across metrics. 

Bumrah has a vast experience of international cricket as compared to Krishna. The modern-day great has played 52 Tests, 91 ODIs and 95 T20I matches in his decade-long career, snapping 506 wickets at an average of 20.56 with a bowling strike rate of 33.0.

On the flip side, Krishna, who debuted in 2021, has just featured in seven Test matches, 28 ODIs and eight T20I games, taking 84 at 29.41 with a strike rate of 30.7.

Let's compare Bumrah's numbers after he had played as many matches in each format as Krishna. 

After 8 Tests, Bumrah had taken 34 wickets - 9 more than the Karnataka quick. In ODIs, the veteran pacer took 52 wickets after 28 matches, while Krishna has 50 under his belt. Lastly, in the shortest format, Boom took 11 wickets in his first 8 T20Is. 

Although Krishna has a better SR in Tests and ODIs after playing seven and 28 matches, respectively, there's still no comparison between the two seamers, with Bumrah helping India lift two ICC titles.  

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