Test cricket is meant to be cruel, a key aspect of its beauty. It exposes your vulnerabilities and mercilessly exploits them. But is it supposed to be this brutal? There was something tender yet disturbing about Jasprit Bumrah's treatment of Marnus Labuschagne during the first Border-Gavaskar Test in Perth. In just 23 deliveries, Labuschagne was dropped, hit in the ribs, beaten five times, left scoreless, and reduced to erratic movements, stabbing at the ball like an amateur.
Eventually, he was dismissed lbw without playing a shot, almost as if he had a baguette in his hand. If there's any solace for Australia's No. 3, it's that he wasn't alone. As Australia limped into the 10-day break before the second Test in Adelaide, it's worth revisiting every ball of Bumrah's opening spell on day one. Australia's top order looked spooked, unable to decipher Bumrah's lines, angles, or movement. It was a masterclass in bowling.
Australia seemed in control as they began their reply to India's 154. But Bumrah had other plans, starting his familiar stuttering run-up, looking like he was riding an imaginary horse. With six paces to go, he still appeared to be about to bowl off-breaks. His gather and release is a remarkable act of coiled energy. The left arm, once flamboyant, now leads straight down the wicket. His right hand ends up between his legs, fingertips slapping his buttocks, generating immense power.
The first ball hit Usman Khawaja's pads, the second veered into Nathan MacSweeney's elbow, and the third jagged away. Bumrah's brilliance lies in his unpredictability. It took 12 deliveries to fully enter the 'Jasprit zone,' with lengths calibrated and lines locked in. Ball 13 was a full inswinger that took MacSweeney's pad, leading to a review, but Bumrah always seemed to know.
Marnus's first ball was an in-ducker, setting up the second, which held its line, took a thick edge, and was dropped at second slip. The full fog of Bumrah's pressure descended, with constant harrying and shifts of line and angle. Khawaja edged to second slip, and Steve Smith was dismissed first ball by a perfect in-ducker.
Throughout this, Marnus flinched and left balls. He blocked and shouted 'NO RUN,' trying to find some semblance of normalcy. This wasn't normal. Labuschagne, despite his eccentricities, averages 48 in Tests and is a master against the new ball. In that first innings, he was out to Mohammed Siraj for two off 52 balls. In the second, he became the final note in Bumrah's equally visceral opening spell.
Bumrah's figures at the end of the day were nine overs, five for 10 against Australia's top order. It felt like a mismatch. These are elite cricketers, yet they were reduced to club cricketers facing an average county bowler. This is the mark of Bumrah's brilliance. When he's at his best, it feels like a reinvention of cricket itself.
After Australia's 295-run defeat in Perth, social media buzzed with disbelief. Some suggested Bumrah must be chucking, protected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. But anyone who has watched him over the last six years knows this is unfounded. Bumrah isn't a chucker; he's a genius. Australia has 10 days to figure him out, or this series could end quickly.
Bumrah is that good. At 30, he has 181 Test wickets at 20.06, the lowest bowling average in Test history for someone with over 40 Tests. He has 47 wickets at 17 at home and 134 at 20 away. Bumrah excels in every format. His ODI economy rate is 4.59. If we delve into numbers, Bumrah might be the greatest modern fast bowler.
How has he achieved this? The answer lies in his unique physicality. The hyperextension of his elbow is a natural advantage, akin to being 6ft 7in or having fast-twitch muscles. His wrist and bowling arm create a triple movement for speed and backspin. The hyperextension means he releases the ball closer to the other end. There's little to focus on in his run-up.
But Bumrah isn't just a physical freak; he's also mentally sharp. He's an information hoarder and problem solver. This is evident in his approach to the pink ball, which he finds challenging. His detailed analysis of why he struggles under lights provides clues to his overall success. Bumrah learns on the job, narrowing down where to pitch, how to find movement, and solving his opponents.
Australia must now apply this process to Bumrah himself, who has a terrifying record at the MCG and looks perfect for the Gabba. Either way, he remains an unignorable figure. India is often seen as the villain in cricket, but in Bumrah, they have provided the most magnetic element in Test cricket right now.
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