JOIN USFormer Australia and Netherlands pacer Dirk Nannes has complimented Jasprit Bumrah for his 'tough' step up from limited-overs to Test cricket without any disruption in rhythm or fitness.
"I think the change from white ball to Test cricket is easier when you have got the skills, and he certainly does have that. But the challenge is to be able to do it consistently – hitting the same spot time and time again, and he does that exceptionally well," Nannes told PTI.
"I think his dismissal of Shaun Marsh in Melbourne was absolutely magnificent. I cannot think of many other situations where a batsman was set up so beautifully, and the bowler executed a T20 skill in a Test to dismiss him. That was something special," he added.
Nannes said the key to Bumrah's success is his physical fitness, even though he doesn't appear to be someone who spends hours and hours at the gym.
He added that barring a left-arm pace bowler, India have a complete bowling attack as concerns Test cricket.
"I don't think he looks like he does much gym work, but he seems naturally very strong physically. You would look at his action and think he would break down. But he is very flexible. You cannot praise him enough for the growth he has shown in such a short span of time," Nannes said.
Nannes feels that a good left-arm pacer would make the Test team unbeatable.
"The only thing I see this Indian team doesn’t have in pace attack is a left-arm pace bowler, which would be a nice addition. Failing that I don’t see any weakness in this Indian Test attack.
"They have the swing of Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma can bowl over and around the wicket, all their bowlers move around the crease, and they have spinners turning the ball both ways – this is a very impressive bowling attack," he said.
After featuring in all three T20Is and four Tests here, Bumrah has been rested from the ODI/T20I series against Australia and New Zealand, keeping in mind workload management for the World Cup.
While this warrant a change in the bowling attack, Nannes also said that India would be forced to have a rethink of their ODI plans given the pitches in Australia will be harder and flatter compared to those in Tests.
"We have seen they have an exceptional bowling attack in white-ball cricket too, but I am not sure what combination they would play here. Bhuvneshwar hasn't bowled for a long time. I have seen very little of Hardik Pandya, but question is how much he has grown as a bowler since he first came into the IPL.
"Spin won't have as big an affect because of harder and flatter wickets in ODIs. It won't take much turn so their spinners will have to be cagier the way they go about bowling here. Maybe India will rethink their strategy a bit and bring in a third pacer for the ODIs," Nannes signed off.