Jasprit Bumrah is back and Ireland T20s were a bonus

Seam, swing, pace or control, Jasprit Bumrah ticked all boxes in the Ireland T20 series after his India return following a long injury lay-off, says CricViz

He’s the best for a reason. And against Ireland, after almost a year out of action, Jasprit Bumrah pulled on an India kit and was immediately the best bowler on show. It may have only been a sample size of two matches, but his economy rate of 4.87 made him the only bowler in the series to concede runs at less than one-a-ball. His tally of four wickets at an average of 9.75 was also the best in class.

India's Jasprit Bumrah in action for India during an ODI last year (Action Images via Reuters)

This was bonus Bumrah. His initial injury timeline had him returning for the Asia Cup, but a successful and extensive rehabilitation programme had him back for India two weeks earlier.

“I’m coming back after a long time,” Bumrah, 29, said ahead of the series. “I just want to enjoy. I’ve never stayed away from the game for this long. I'm not thinking 'I'll do this, I'll do that' or 'I have to contribute a lot'. I have come here to enjoy it because I like cricket. Expectations, I'm not keeping too much of it.”

And enjoy it he did. His average seam movement was the most of any seamer on show, while the amount of swing he found was middle of the pack. It’s a combination that makes Bumrah so potent, as he combines enough through the air with the ability to extract exaggerated movement from the surface. What’s more, he is hypnotic in accuracy but spectacular in his extremes. Despite being in the bottom half of seamers for average amount of swing, he managed to produce the most movement – swinging the new ball 4.2 degrees to Lorcan Tucker in his first over of the opening T20I.

Of course, a couple of T20s in the damp of Ireland is a different challenge to 10 overs every few days in the heat of India across the World Cup. Bumrah is aware of this, with his rehabilitation built towards 10-over spells.

“We were mindful that there’s not a lot of Test cricket in this cycle till the World Cup ends,” said Bumrah. “So, even in my rehab, we were never preparing for a T20 game, I was preparing to bowl 10 overs for the World Cup.

“I’ve been bowling 10, 12, even 15 overs. I've bowled more overs, so it becomes easier when you bowl less than what is required."

Bumrah’s average pace against Ireland was ever so slightly down on his level in ODI cricket (135 kph vs 133 kph). But given the greater number of change-ups bowled in T20s, this is a good sign of Bumrah being in flow. Eight times, he bowled at 140kph plus. Bumrah is back.

Bumrah’s ODI record is remarkable. Of Indian seam bowlers to have played more than 20 ODIs, only Bumrah has an economy rate of below five (4.62). His average of 23.87 is comfortably the best of any Indian seamer – he is one of only four to take wickets at less than 30 runs apiece.

Since CricViz began recording ball-by-ball data in 2006, he has the seventh best economy of any seamer with only Josh Hazlewood challenging his record as statistically the best quick bowler in ODIs in the last decade. Of the five bowlers whose economy is better than that of Bumrah and Hazelwood, only Jacob Oram played an ODI after 2010. The game has changed in recent years but Bumrah and Hazlewood have a stranglehold over batters as if it was 2008 and the reverse ramp didn’t exist.

The importance of Bumrah’s return cannot be overstated with Asia Cup a prime opportunity for his rehabilitation to take that next step before the World Cup.

“Whoever's opinion it is,” Bumrah said with a laugh when asked whether his bowling was India’s greatest asset. “Obviously I respect it, but whether it's good or bad I don't take it seriously. I don't want to carry any baggage or pressure of expectation. I also haven't set unrealistic expectations for myself; I'm not thinking that I've got to carry so much load.”

Unfortunately for Bumrah, the rest of us do carry those expectations. Luckily for India, he’s more than capable of delivering. It’s been a long 11 months, but Bumrah is back.