Jasprit Bumrah gears up for short-pitched stuff, Smith unfazed

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah's use of searing short-pitched deliveries in the just-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) may have set the alarm bells ringing in the Australian camp.
Jasprit Bumrah gears up for short-pitched stuff, Smith unfazed

NEW DELHI: Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah's use of searing short-pitched deliveries in the just-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) may have set the alarm bells ringing in the Australian camp. Though premier Australia batsman Steve Smith brushed aside such concerns, Bumrah's recent success with the short ball sets up hopes of a mouth-watering contest.

Among Bumrah's IPL scalps with short-pitched deliveries were Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Nicholas Pooran, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, and Andre Russell. Bumrah on occasions, like in the case of Rayudu, never shied away from pounding the batsman with short deliveries till the batsman gave in.

During the IPL, Smith faced just six deliveries from the India speedster and there was no short pitched stuff, with almost all being good length. Smith hit Bumrah for a four and a six in one game before being dismissed by pace bowler James Pattinson.

In the other game, Smith was dismissed by Bumrah on the only ball he faced from him, while trying to a swipe.

Bumrah had during the IPL told media that he wants to be proactive and smart with the approach and considers the surface too.

With Australian wickets being bouncier than those in India or the UAE, Bumrah may fancy his chances of bowling the short stuff a lot more frequently in the forthcoming series.

The use of short ball is likely to be more considering that the new Kookaburra ball stops swinging after the first 20-25 overs.

Smith had faced problems with the short ball during the series against New Zealand during 2019-20 season Down Under, with left-arm pace bowler Neil Wagner getting him four times with the short delivery. The Kiwis had planned a short ball attack and Smith succumbed to it four out of the five times he went to the crease in the three-Test series. IANS

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