The video of Jasprit Bumrah's magical yorker to Ollie Pope has travelled far and wide. Anyone with the tiniest modicum of cricket understanding will appreciate the reverse swinging brilliance that flummoxed Pope, who had scored a dazzling 196 in the first India vs England Test in Hyderabad. On Day 2 of the second game at Visakhapatnam, it was Bumrah's turn to shine. (More Cricket News)
The India pace spearhead's splendid six-wicket haul was a result of the most incredible exhibition of fast bowling one can hope to see. And who better to gauge that, than the 'banana yorker' specialist himself, Waqar Younis.
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The legendary Pakistan speedster was one of the most prodigious exponents of the craft of reverse swing, and his in-curling toe-crushers terrorized batter after opposition batter in his heyday. The term 'banana' swing refers to the dramatic late movement that Younis generated, and if the ball ended up on yorker length, there was little the batter could do about it.
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Asked by cricket media professional Hemant Buch on whether Bumrah's ball to Pope reminded him of someone, Younis cheekily responded with, "Can’t think of anyone Hemant," extolling Bumrah’s "magic".
England seam bowling titan Stuart Broad too gushed over how beautifully Bumrah exploited the weapon of reverse swing in otherwise unhelpful Indian conditions.
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On slow, low spin-friendly Indian pitches, fast bowlers are rarely able to make an impact. It is with the older ball that reverse swing comes into play, and so do its practitioners. But few are able to use it as masterfully as Bumrah did on Saturday, February 3, 2024. And few will be able to, in the future. It takes someone of the pedigree of Broad to recognise that.
