Brisbane, Dec 16 (PTI) Australian batting great Allan Border believes there is little difference between West Indies legend Malcolm Marshall and the “remarkable” Jasprit Bumrah, stating that he has never seen “anyone like him” in his life.
Bumrah, who took six for 76 in Australia’s first innings in the ongoing third Test here, has been the most consistent bowler in the five-Test series against Australia, claiming 18 wickets so far.
He is now the second Indian, after Kapil Dev, to take 50 Test wickets in Australia.
“I can’t properly compare him to Marshall because I never faced Bumrah but just watching him there is not much (between them). Bumrah is remarkable. He rarely bowls a spell without taking a wicket. He is different,” Border told the News Corp.
“Because of his action, he lets the ball go later. And he smiles all the time. He can beat a batsman three times in a row and smile each time. I have never seen anyone like him,” he added.
An all-format bowler, Bumrah took five for 30 in a memorable first-innings display and three for 42 in the second innings to guide India to a 295-run win in the Perth Test recently.
Bumrah has taken 10 five-wicket hauls outside Asia, surpassing Kapil Dev’s record of nine. The 31-year-old from Ahmedabad has three five-wicket hauls in Australia, three in South Africa, and two each in the West Indies and England.
Bumrah’s bowling average of 17.82 (minimum 20 wickets) in Australia, statistically make him the best visiting bowler in more than 100 years, surpassing the likes of Richard Hadlee (whose 77 scalps came at a marginally higher 17.83 runs per wicket), Curtly Ambrose (78 wickets at 19.79 in Australia) and Michael Holding (63 at 24.22). PTI ATK UNG ATK 7/21/2024
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