India vs South Africa: Jasprit Bumrah's golden opportunity to shed limited-overs specialist tag

Among the many brave decisions that the MSK Prasad-led selection panel have made since their appointment, Jasprit Bumrah’s maiden Test call-up arguably stands out as the most radical one. While it wasn’t completely on the unexpected lines as India needed a fifth pace bowling option, Bumrah’s case was slightly different. The credentials which spurred his chances ironically also diminished them — his reputation as a limited-overs specialist. Doubts hovered over his ability in Test cricket; Bumrah has been unquestionably sensational with the white ball, but could he perform in a similar manner with the red ball? Another factor which was stacked against the Gujarat pacer was that his last first-class match was the semi-final of 2016/17 Ranji Trophy season. Surely, there were others who could’ve made the cut or so it seemed. [caption id=“attachment_4274553” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of India’s Jasprit Bumrah. AFP[/caption] The selectors could have made a safe choice knowing that the chances of a fifth fast bowler featuring in the eleven are not encouraging. Shardul Thakur was one such option. The Mumbai bowler had also toured West Indies with the Indian team in 2016. Or they could’ve fallen back on the in-form Navdeep Saini, who currently is Delhi’s second highest wicket-taker. But in Bumrah they saw a bowler who brought with him a different range of skill sets: awkward angles, the stock inswinger, deceptive slower balls, the recently developed away slanter (assuming the batsman is right-handed), the steep bounce and not to forget the breathtaking yorkers. Bumrah’s limited-overs form also played a huge role in his selection. “If you see his performance in the last 18 months, he’s been phenomenal. He’s been sensational and has done outstandingly well in both ODIs and T20Is. Considering the Ranji Trophy he played last year (where) he bowled brilliantly in the whole season, we have no doubts. It is a unanimous choice and there is no doubt in picking Bumrah because he definitely adds variety to our pace attack,” said Prasad after announcing the squad. That Bumrah took so long to break into the squad can be put down to one reason. Experts have branded him as a white-ball specialist. But a glance at his first-class record suggests something else. In 26 matches, Bumrah has picked 89 wickets at an impressive average of 25.33. In fact, so natural he seems to be with the red ball that he dismissed seven batsmen on his debut in 2013. He was also adjudged the ‘Man of the Match’ in his last match, which incidentally was a semi-final and powered Gujarat to the summit clash against Mumbai. The numbers suggest that Bumrah is no dud in the longest format. Lest we forget, he has played most of his matches on a flat pitch at the Motera Stadium. Recently in an interview, Rohit Sharma explained the rationale behind Kedar Jadhav’s success as a bowler. The slingy action, Rohit pointed out, made it very tough for the batsmen to see the point of release. He later on went on to say that’s the reason why batting against Lasith Malinga is not easy during the first few attempts. Bumrah’s arm might not get as low as Malinga and Kedar’s. But batsmen have often said that his point of release is what makes him so special. This trait of his also makes him quite threatening with the old ball. The batsmen find it extremely strenuous to see the shiny side of the ball. Interestingly, Bumrah has played only one international against South Africa, which means a majority of their batsmen, barring a couple who play Indian Premier League (IPL), have not at all faced him. The 24-year old can also exploit that drawback to his advantage. Whether Bumrah will be included in the eleven or not still remains to be seen. India’s first pacer would be Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar may assume the responsibility of the second fast bowler. While Ishant Sharma, thanks to a resounding Sri Lankan series, might just have trumped Umesh Yadav in the pecking order to be the side’s third pacer. Bumrah’s chance will come only if the aforementioned bowlers fail to impress. From being a rookie in the 2013 IPL to becoming one of the most lethal white ball bowlers, Bumrah’s rise has been ceaseless and now he embarks on his journey or “dream of playing Tests”. Does he deserve the Test call-up? Definitely. But can he shed the limited-overs specialist tag? We will know by 28 January. Click here to read profiles of other Indian players involved in the Test series against South Africa Click here for the full schedule of India’s tour to South Africa, when and where to watch the matches, live coverage on TV, online streaming