'No fault of Bhuvi but...': Bishop raises toast to 'outstanding, Siraj-like' India pacer with 'break the back' remark

Bhuvneshwar Kumar took five wickets in Sunrisers Hyderabad's match against Gujarat Titans but they ended up losing by 34 runs.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar got a rare five-wicket haul, a rare event in Indian Premier League (IPL) games, in Sunrisers Hyderabad's match against Gujarat Titans. However, SRH ended up losing the match by 34 runs with Shubman Gill scoring a century and their fast bowler Mohammed Shami taking figures of 4/21.

Bhuvneshwar's major clump of wickets came towards the end of the GT innings

Three of Shami's wickets came in the powerplay and former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop has stated that it is this that made the difference. Bhuvneshwar's wickets, on the other hand, came towards the end of the GT innings.

“He’s got 15 powerplay wickets. It tells you the value of wickets up front versus wickets at the back end," said Bishop on ESPNCricinfo. "And you look at Bhuvi (Bhuvaneshwar Kumar), and no fault of Bhuvi’s, Bhuvi was excellent with 4 wickets in the back end, but Shami bowls a test length, a test line and length, very well, which is what (Mohammed) Siraj, when he’s been at his best this season has been able to bowl.

“Tight on the off-stump and a little bit of that away movement from that brilliant seam position and at a good pace. It seems to hustle off the wicket more than a lot of guys. So great credit, he broke the back of that run chase up front and he’s just an outstanding bowler, particularly in the last three, four seasons,” said Bishop.