Bharat Arun Reveals How Ravi Shastri Was The Brain Behind Jasprit Bumrah's Entry To Tests

While Jasprit Bumrah is one of the best Test bowlers in the world at the moment, there is no denying that his first-call to the Test team for the tour of South Africa in 2018 had surprised many. Till that point, he was only considered as a white-ball specialist.

Jasprit Bumrah made his international debut in 2016 as a white-ball specialist in 2016 after impressing in the Indian Premier League. But to almost everyone’s utter surprise, Jasprit Bumrah proved everyone wrong with a sensational bowling performance in South Africa.

In a recent interview, India bowling coach Bharat Arun has revealed how it was coach Ravi Shastri who wanted to pick the pacer in the Test team for the Proteas tour. Shastri asked Arun to give Jasprit Bumrah a call and inform him that he could be getting a chance in Test team in the South Africa tour.

“It is very unfair to say that I am the one who picked Bumrah for Tests. In all fairness, it was Ravi Shastri who really wanted Bumrah,” Arun told Sportskeeda.

“I think it was after a match in Kolkata, before the South Africa tour, Ravi Shastri felt that Bumrah would be extremely effective. He was really impressed with him. He wanted me to call him up and tell him that. It was about two months before South Africa tour. He wanted me to call up Bumrah and tell him that he was most likely to tour South Africa with the Test team.

“When I spoke to Bumrah, he said ‘it was his dream to play in Tests’. A lot of people had classified him as an ODI bowler – he in his heart of hearts knew he could be a very good Test match bowler. So he said ‘I would give anything to be a Test match bowler and I would work towards it’. Truthfully, it was Ravi Shastri’s idea and Bumrah was right up to the challenge,” the 57-year-old further added.

Jasprit Bumrah has so far played 14 Tests and picked up an impressive 68 wickets  at an average of 20.33. He has a five-wicket haul in South Africa, Australia, West Indies as well as England. The right-arm pacer also has a Test hat-trick to his name which came against West Indies last year.

Explaining the reasons behind’s Bumrah success, Arun said: “Bumrah in the last few strides he gives it everything he has. He looks pretty innocuous when he runs. But he doesn’t generate too much momentum in his run-up. That’s why he is so deceptive.”

“His arm being very, very quick… normally bowlers begin from slightly bent-arm, then going on to the fully outstretched arm, because that is the most ideal way to generate speed. Bumrah starts with the longer lever, it’s just very difficult to generate speed. But if you are able to do that, it would be very effective. But not all bowlers could do it. Bumrah has the unique capacity and ability to do that, and that’s why he is so successful,” he added,

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