Australia opener David Warner, a centurion in the first one-dayer, heaps praise on India speedster Jasprit; as for chinaman Kuldeep, he is difficult to pick under lights
Australia opener David Warner looks on as Jasprit Bumrah bowls to skipper Aaron Finch at Wankhede on Tuesday. Pic/ Suresh Karkera
Flamboyant Australia opener David Warner's post-game observation on Tuesday night about Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah and chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav were interesting to hear.
The diminutive left-handed batsman thrashed the Indian bowlers to make an unbeaten 128 off 112 balls, laced with 17 fours and three sixes.
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He also put on 258 runs with fellow-opener and skipper Aaron Finch, who too ripped into the hosts' bowling attack in making an unconquered 110 off 114 balls with the help of 13 fours and two sixes.
Riding on the openers' pyrotechnics Australia romped home chasing India's 255 all-out in only 37.4 overs to hand over a humiliating 10-wicket defeat to the hosts in the ODI series opener at the Wankhede Stadium.
Warner likened the unorthodox Bumrah's bowling speed to that of former Australian pace bowler Brett Lee, the only difference being the former's saunter to the crease at the bowler's end as opposed to his countryman's speed-gathering run-up.
"It's about being nice and still. I can't imagine someone like Brett Lee running in from almost the boundary and just sort of staggering in there and all of a sudden [hurling the ball at] 150km/hr. It takes a while to get used to and that's a great skill from Bumrah," said Warner when asked about facing the Indian bowler in the post-match media briefing.
Bumrah had suffered a stress fracture in his lower back last September and was set to get fit only for India's upcoming full tour to New Zealand starting later this month after missing the home series against South Africa and the West Indies.
He, however, was recalled to play in the T20 home series against Sri Lanka and bowled six overs in three matches to take two wickets.
Kuldeep Yadav
On Tuesday, Bumrah ended up without a wicket conceding 50 runs in seven overs—the fifth time he has failed to take a wicket while giving away 50 or more runs—in his 59th ODI after his debut in Sydney against Australia on January 23, 2016.
"That's how he's always bowled as a kid growing up and you've just got to watch real hard. He's got great change-ups as well. If I'm to give any advice, and I take this as well, you've got to be nice and still. His bouncers surprise you, his yorkers surprise you and then, when he bowls the change-up, it's very, very difficult.
"It's like when Lasith Malinga at his prime—he bowled 140km/hr and swung them in, but you knew you were going to get a yorker or a bouncer," he added.
On Kuldeep, Warner felt the left arm leggie was bowling a bit slower now. "With Kuldeep, he's got great change-ups as well. I find that he's bowling a fraction slower these days, quite different to Rashid Khan [Afghanistan leggie] who bowls at 100km/hr. Under lights, I think, left-arm chinaman [bowlers] are very difficult to pick," said the player-of-the-match.
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