Melbourne [Australia], December 24: Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has offered valuable advice to aspiring bowlers, stressing the importance of repetition and pushing oneself to succeed in Test cricket. He explained that bowlers should accept that they will never feel completely fresh during a Test match and must continuously push their limits, both in the nets and during matches, to develop muscle memory and improve their skills.
Bumrah, who has been in outstanding form in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, will be taking the field in the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) starting Thursday. He is currently the leading wicket-taker of the series, having claimed 21 wickets in three matches at an impressive average of 10.90, with a best performance of 6/76 and two five-wicket hauls.
In a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Bumrah was seen explaining his approach to a young bowler. He emphasized the reality of fatigue in Test cricket, saying, “Some days you will be tired, and even on game day, you will be tired. So, you have to push yourself, especially in the nets, because you won’t always feel fresh during a Test.”
He continued, “What works for you? When I take wickets, how do I feel? What does my body feel like? I write down these feelings and try to replicate that mindset. Not every game will go well, but having that balance will help you execute better more often.”
Bumrah also highlighted the significance of repetition in training. “This sport is all about volume. To learn something, you have to do it over and over. That’s why we execute the length ball so well — it’s because we’ve done it countless times,” he said, stressing the importance of practice to develop muscle memory.
He further explained that while repetition is crucial, bowlers must also be mindful of their actions. “You need to practice smartly. Before 27 or 28, you shouldn’t be worried too much about the technical aspects. You need to learn the sport. If you don’t bowl enough, how will you learn the craft? It’s not a video game where you just decide and it happens; you have to put in the work,” Bumrah concluded.
Bumrah has been in exceptional form this year, taking 77 wickets in 20 international matches at an average of 13.35, with an economy rate of 3.08. He has claimed four five-wicket hauls, including his standout performance in the ICC T20 World Cup, where he was named ‘Player of the Tournament’ for taking 15 wickets in eight matches at an average of 8.26 and an economy rate of 4.17.
Australia Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
India Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal