Jayawardene hails Bumrah, calls him “coach’s dream to work with”

New Delhi [India], February 4 (ANI): Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene opened up on the team’s pace spearhead and Indian star bowler Jasprit Bumrah, calling him a “coach’s dream to work with” because of his “low maintenance” nature as a player.

Jayawardene spoke to Wisden Cricket Monthly as MI gears up for next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after a bottom-placed finish last year.

Speaking to the Wisden Cricket Monthly, Jayawardene said, “Bumrah is a coach’s dream to work with. He is very low maintenance. The Jasprit of today came from putting his hand up and taking on tough challenges, knowing that he has the confidence and self-belief to deliver.”

“He has always been a man of few words, but he’s had a lasting impact on those who have sought his advice. He will do his training in the nets and then spend time with the other bowlers and is able to guide them on what they should do, rather than telling them what works for him,” he added.

Jayawardene also said that Bumrah’s every delivery needs to have an impact for his team.

“So it is not just running up and hitting the line and length, but being masterful in thinking and then executing it to perfection that leaves the batsman thinking about the next ball if he survives this one. And this is his mindset for all three formats,” he added.

Over the last few years, Bumrah has emerged as a darling of a cricket-crazy nation that usually worships its batters. But at the centre of it is a family man who has a full dedication to his craft and loves to spend some time away from all the spotlight.

“He has a shell that he keeps to, once off the field,” explained Jayawardene, “and that keeps him in a sweet spot, like sometimes preferring to spend time in the hotel room if it’s a break day, because that is what gives him the most joy. “Over the years, Jasprit has shown what a genuine and good human being he is. And that has translated to the cricket field as well,” he concluded.

Bumrah had a memorable 2024, one of the greatest years for a bowler.

Mohammed Siraj’s post-match interview after T20 WC final saying ‘I only believe on Jassi bhai, game changer player he is’ in his broken English summarises the country’s love affair with the pace spearhead and how important he was to their fortunes.

Be it his 19 wickets during England’s home series on largely unhelpful surfaces at an average of 16.89 in four matches, his ‘Player of the Tournament’ winning T20 WC title-capturing performance with 15 crucial scalps at an average of 8.26 or his workhorse, once-in-a-generation run in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah emerged as country’s newest and rightfully deserving cricketing darling, having captured the minds and hearts of a batting-obsessed nation and making fast bowling, yorkers and swing, cool among masses.

Bumrah was the leading-wicket-taker in international cricket last year, with 86 wickets in 21 matches at an average of 13.76, with four four-wicket hauls and five five-wicket hauls and best figures of 6/45. Particularly in Tests, the Indian pace spearhead enjoyed one of the greatest calendar years by a bowler, with 71 scalps in 13 matches at an average of 14.92, with five five-wicket hauls and best figures of 6/45, delivering fantastic spells home and away alike.

Also in a disappointing IPL 2024 for five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI), he topped the charts with 20 scalps in 13 matches at an average of 16.80 and one fifer.

The star Indian pace spearhead was a nightmare for Aussies to face during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy concluded recently. The 3-1 scoreline in favour of Australia, who won the trophy for the first time since 2014 and avoided a hat-trick of series losses to India at home, does not truly show how much fight Bumrah single-handedly put for India.

He got 32 wickets in five matches at a stunning average of 13.06, with three five-wicket hauls and best figures of 6/76. He was the highest wicket-taker in the series and broke record after record in the five-match affair, becoming the Indian with the most Test fifers in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and South Africa) and outdoing spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi to have most wickets by an Indian in an away series.

These performances landed him plenty of awards and honours, be it the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year award, ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year award and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Best International Men’s Cricketer of the Year award.