'Would love to have that delivery from him. Such a lovely ball': Shami recalls 'strange' reaction on first seeing Bumrah

Bumrah unorthodox bowling action did garner a lot of interest in his early days but for Shami, he was curious about his pace and power given the technique.

Senior Indian pacer Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah have been the mainstays of the India Test team and have been at the helm of the pace revolution in the team which has helped in India's success in the format over the couple of years. And on Monday, Shami opened up about his first reaction on seeing Bumrah, the delivery he would love to have from him and about the pace department.

Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah

Speaking to Indian Express, Shami recalled that he had felt a bit strange seeing Bumrah in action for the first time ever, which was during an Indian Premier League season. Bumrah unorthodox bowling action did garner a lot of interest in his early days but for Shami, he was curious about his pace and power given the technique.

“The first time I saw him was during the IPL. It felt a bit strange seeing him because of his bowling action. I wondered how someone could bowl so fast with that action and where he got the power from. When he got drafted in the Indian team, I knew him better. He performed and became part of the Test team. Today, you see a different Jasprit Bumrah. He has such control, he has everything,” he said.

The veteran pacer then talked about how fond he has been of Bumrah's yorker deliveries. He also talked about the Indian pace unit and each has played a role in getting the best out of the other.

“The one thing I would love to have from him is his yorker. Such a lovely ball. It’s fun to bowl together. With the kind of Test match bowling we have now, I don’t think we ever had such a period in our cricketing history. If you look at our graph for the last five years, I feel it is the highest. I enjoy bowling with Jassi, Umesh, Ishant and all of them. We know each other’s ability. The best quality of this bowling unit is that whenever someone is down, we lift each other up and give confidence. These are the things one remembers in life. We walk together through thick and thin,” he added.

Shami and Bumrah will be seen in action together for the impending two-match Test series against Sri Lanka that begins from March 4 onwards in Mohali.