Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting humorously remarked that he would charge down the pitch and hit Jasprit Bumrah over his head if he were still playing international cricket. On a more serious note, he explained that he would aim to be proactive and apply pressure on the bowler.
In regular skipper Rohit Sharma’s absence, Bumrah delivered an outstanding performance, leading India to a commanding 295-run victory over Australia in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Perth. The pacer claimed five wickets in the first innings and added three more in the second.
During the ICC Review, when asked how he would face Bumrah in his playing days, Ponting responded with his cheeky remark:
“I’d charge him every ball, I’d run down the wicket, I’d hit him back over his head.” On a serious note, he added, “That’s very much a joke, but I’d try to be proactive and put pressure back on the bowler. I’d be reacting to the ball, but I’d be trying to score. Like I said, the reason that he’s so good is because he doesn’t let you score.”
“The flip side of the best bowlers not letting you score is that the best batsmen don’t allow bowlers to bowl that way. That’s the way I would approach it as well,” the 49-year-old went on to add.
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Bumrah boasts an outstanding Test record in Australia. In eight matches, he has picked up 40 wickets at an impressive average of 18.80, including two five-wicket hauls, with a best of 6-33.
Ponting Compares Jasprit Bumrah to Legends Curtly Ambrose and Glenn McGrath
Speaking on ICC Review, Ponting likened Bumrah to fast bowling greats Curtly Ambrose and Glenn McGrath. He highlighted that elite pacers excel at maintaining relentless pressure and offering no scoring opportunities, making batting an arduous task.
“It’s the build-up of pressure. Curtly Ambrose was the same, Glenn McGrath was the same. Like any of the great fast bowlers, they make scoring difficult. You just don’t score off him [Bumrah]. You don’t get any runs. The best of the best make scoring difficult for batsmen, and then it makes batting uncomfortable,” Ponting said.
“You forget about your instincts as a batsman, when you think about surviving and not scoring runs – that’s when batting becomes really hard,” he concluded.
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Bumrah has played 41 Test matches to date, taking 181 wickets at an impressive average of 20.06, including 11 five-wicket hauls.
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