Cricket: Jasprit Bumrah and the art of taking wickets — what makes the Indian fast bowler world-class

Jasprit Bumrah is India’s one-man army — the only fast bowler who truly strikes fear into rival batsmen. And that’s the problem. Cricket is a team game, and Bumrah alone cannot carry India to victory.

The Headingley Test last week is a prime example. Bumrah was the most dangerous bowler in the first innings. If he had adequate support from fellow pacemen Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna and the fielders, the result could have been different. The England batsmen simply saw off Bumrah and attacked the others. The strategy worked.

What makes Bumrah special? For starters, his unconventional bowling style. It’s certainly not textbook. While most fast bowlers have smooth, accelerating run-ups, Bumrah ambles in — showing urgency only in the last few strides.

There’s no classic jump at the crease, unlike greats like Dennis Lillee, Andy Roberts, Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan, or Kapil Dev. Instead, Bumrah takes a small leap. His bowling arm straightens with a hyper-extended elbow, his wrist cocks, and he slings the ball like a catapult.

Through this whir of arms and legs, batsmen often lose sight of the ball until the last moment — just as it’s released at over 140 km/h.

His release point adds to the difficulty. Most bowlers deliver the ball when their arm aligns with the front leg. Bumrah releases it further ahead, giving batsmen even less time to react.

As if that’s not enough, he’s got variety. The 31-year-old can swing the ball in, take it away, reverse it too. Add to that a sharp bouncer, clever slower balls, and a deadly toe-crushing yorker — and you have a bowler lethal in all formats.

Bumrah is at the peak of his powers. Cricket pundits call him a complete fast bowler — and rightly so. He thrives across formats and conditions.

But beyond physical attributes and variations, it's his ability to outthink batsmen that sets him apart. That’s what makes him different — and dangerous. He finds ways to take wickets regardless of the match situation. Even a well-set batsman isn’t safe when Bumrah’s on the hunt.

Fast bowlers usually hunt in pairs. Cricket history is full of examples: Trueman and Statham, Lindwall and Miller, Hall and Griffith, Lillee and Thomson, Roberts and Holding, Willis and Botham, Imran and Sarfraz. Even Kapil Dev had Karsan Ghavri early on.

But Bumrah operates alone. Mohammed Shami — India’s next-best seamer — has been injury-prone, and they’ve rarely bowled in tandem in Tests.

Fast bowlers need support. Sustained pressure from both ends brings wickets.

If India can find someone consistent enough to back Bumrah, they’ll win more Tests. One Bumrah doesn’t make an attack.