Why can’t they hit Bumrah’s full tosses? It’s because of the fear of his name: Waqar Younis

Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma . (Photo Source: ICC)

While the majority of the Pakistani batters appeared relatively untroubled by the rest of the Indian bowling contingent, they consistently struggled to handle the right-arm pacer, Jasprit Bumrah. This point is further substantiated by a cursory glance at the match scorecard, which clearly indicates that Bumrah delivered the highest number of dot balls (15) in his four-over spell—four more than any of the other three pacers. While the general perception among the public might attribute his success to the familiar attributes of pinpoint consistency and similar factors, former Pakistani pace-bowling icon, Waqar Younis, offered a definitive and notably valid perspective.

Waqar began by reminiscing his playing days. He remarked that despite having faced numerous bowlers during his professional cricket career, he knew perfectly well as to why the Pakistani batters couldn’t capitalize on Bumrah’s full tosses, let alone other deliveries. Waqar asserted that Bumrah had instilled a profound sense of trepidation among batters, with his name alone evoking a significant psychological impact.

“I have played against many greats of the game. But when I look at Bumrah, the kind of action he has got. Why can’t they hit Bumrah’s full tosses? It’s because of the fear of his name. He puts terror in the batters’ minds. Even if he bowls full tosses, it’s hard to hit because the batters are not expecting that,” shared Waqar, while in a conversation with Star Sports.

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He’s one of the bowlers who’s very hard to pick, he’s a genius: Waqar

Furthermore, Waqar highlighted the lanky pacer’s distinctive run-up and, more importantly, his bowling action, characterized by a springy hyper-extension that made Bumrah exceptionally deceptive and difficult to read – from the hand and off the pitch. Reiterating a well-known actuality, Waqar praised Bumrah for his ability to excel in any conditions presented to him.

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“On top of that, the whippy action, the hyper-extension is very hard to pick. He is one of the bowlers, who is very hard to pick, he is a genius. He bowls well in any kind of conditions. He has got everything covered, he is world-class,” Waqar added.