Brisbane [Australia], December 15 (ANI): India bowling coach Morne Morkel on Sunday heaped praise on Jasprit Bumrah, calling him the “number one bowler in the world” after his exceptional performance against Australia in the Brisbane Test.
On the second day of the third Test at Brisbane, Bumrah stood out as India’s lone warrior, taking key wickets while Steve Smith and Travis Head dominated with the bat. Dismissing both centurions, Bumrah finished the day with figures of 5/72 in 25 overs at an impressive economy rate of 2.90. His scalps included Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, and Mitchell Marsh.
This marked Bumrah’s 10th five-wicket haul outside Asia, surpassing Kapil Dev’s record of nine five-wicket hauls outside the continent.
Speaking at the press conference after the day’s play, Morkel also lauded Akash Deep’s efforts, noting that he bowled with determination despite the challenging conditions.
“Look, I mean, today, I thought Akash Deep bowled really well. He bowled his heart out, as did Siraj. You know, Siraj struggled with cramps early in the day, but for him to keep running in, especially late in the day, and deliver short balls and that new-ball spell was great to see,” Morkel said.
He added that the seamers’ efforts were commendable despite the tough conditions.
“Bumrah is the number one bowler in the world, and you need someone to back him up and support him in those partnerships. Honestly, I can’t fault the effort from the other seamers today. Akash asked good questions with the new ball and even with the older ball, and on another day, he could have easily picked up three wickets. That’s the nature of cricket–it’s a tough game, and you’ll have days like this,” he added.
In the ongoing match, India opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Following a wicketless first day, where India bowled 13 overs without success, they bounced back strongly on Day 2, dismissing Usman Khawaja (21 off 54, including three fours), Nathan McSweeney (9), and Marnus Labuschagne (12), reducing Australia to 75/3.
However, the 241-run partnership between Smith (101 off 190, including 10 fours) and Head (152 off 160, including 18 fours) swung the game in Australia’s favour. Bumrah (5/72) eventually broke the stand, triggering a flurry of wickets, but Australia ended the day in a commanding position at 405/7, with Alex Carey (45*) and Mitchell Starc (7*) unbeaten at the crease. (ANI)
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