What makes Bumrah so dangerous?

As Shikhar Dhawan’s body twisted into a not-so-appetising pretzel, Jasprit Bumrah saw a plan bear fruit.

He went over the wicket to create an acute angle away from the left-hander, who has a tendency to flash away from his body. Dhawan did just that with the first ball, opening up and slapping a length ball to cover with the authority of someone in form.

Bumrah wanted to tuck him up now, it was an obvious bluff with a first-slip in place. He straightened the fine-leg fielder. That should have been Dhawan’s cue for an in-swinger. Surely he noticed, but then…

Ball two: 141.9 kmph. Swinging in. Dipping fast. Yorker. Dhawan hung his bat to dry. The ball missed the bat, clipped the outside of the batsman’s left-foot and then thudded into the off stump.

He was out leg before wicket before he was bowled. It was all too embarrassing, the kind of dismissal which evokes a cringe from any batsmen watching. Flashing bails lay scattered as Bumrah trotted in his follow-through with hands upturned (recreating an ‘are you not entertained?’ moment) with a devious grin. Dhawan smiled too, knowing that no one would have fared better. There is little to suggest a verbal exchange, but an awe-struck ‘well bowled!’ doesn’t seem out of place.

Dhawan was Bumrah's first victim of Qualifier 1 against the Delhi Capitals on Thursday. He would have three more in a spell that read: 4-1-14-4. His finest figures in the Indian Premier League ensured he leapfrogged Kagiso Rabada to end the night as the highest wicket-taker in the season.

He may not end up with the Purple Cap since Rabada is still in the race. Irrespective, Bumrah will have already orchestrated his finest IPL to date. His previous best came in 2017 where he finished with 20 wickets at an economy of 7.39.

This season - his eighth so far - he has 27 scalps from 14 games at an economy of 6.71. Only two bowlers - Lasith Malinga and Dwayne Bravo - in the history of the tournament have taken more wickets to bag top bowling honours in an edition.

Malinga played 16 games to bag 28 and Bravo featured in 18 to pick up 32. Even Rabada, the only one who can realistically upstage Bumrah to the award, has already played one more game than the Indian paceman for 25 wickets.

The South African, should the Capitals win Qualifier 2, will have played 17 games, including the final. Bumrah, who was rested in Mumbai’s last league game, will play his 15th match on November 10 when Mumbai line up for what could be their fifth title.

Basically, Bumrah is arguably is the greatest T20 bowler of this generation. The sample size isn’t big enough (50 T20Is for 59 wickets and 171 T20s for 209 scalps), but when a bowler can make Dhawan look silly and Virat Kohli announce that he doesn’t enjoy facing him at ‘nets’, you can build a strong case. He is what Malinga was to the era preceding this one.

It’s no surprise then that he learnt the ropes from the Sri Lankan ace when he was offered an IPL contract by Mumbai in 2013.

John Wright, the former Indian coach, spotted the-then 19-year-old product during a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy game between Gujarat and Mumbai. Wright was there to spot talent from the Mumbai pool. He ended up fast-tracking Bumrah to the Mumbai Indians in his debut first-class season.

His first three seasons yielded 11 wickets from 15 games, largely because of a debilitating knee injury. Mumbai kept the faith, and 2016 fetched 15 wickets at an economy of 7.80. Bumrah was in the Indian limited-overs side a few months later. A couple of years later he made his Test debut against South Africa in Cape Town.

His reasons for success have become a favourite pastime among bowlers and fans alike, with some pulling out physics textbooks to decipher what makes him impossibly hard to play.

Reverse Magnus Effect, they cited, to explain why the ball dips incongruently and kicks up without warning. Strong wrists, they attributed, to his ability to keep the seam spotlessly upright when needed. Hyperextension, they claimed, for his unorthodox action and angle of release. A whip for an arm, a firm head, a barely-run-up, the list goes on.

There must be a semblance of accuracy to all of these observations, but these so-called anomalies only speak of possible advantages. They don’t describe the challenges which come with aligning these parts consistently, nor do they do justice to the work he puts in. They also fail to speak of his cricket IQ and willingness to educate himself in the art of bowling.

Though he looks like the boy-next-door with a genial smile and an unassuming body, he is one of the fittest on the circuit, six-pack and everything. He is also one of the most hard-working bowlers around. In fact, on Thursday night he bowled full-tilt in the ‘nets’ for some time before setting foot on the field to defend 200 runs.

Stunning talent. Blessed physical attributes. Desire to win. Commitment to the craft. Humility and obvious gratitude to the skills and opportunity bestowed. It’s no wonder he’s on top of the game and should continue to be there for as long as his body will allow him.