Indian cricket stalwart Ravichandran Ashwin has showered praise on fast-bowling ace Jasprit Bumrah, hailing him as the “Kohinoor of Indian Cricket.”
India’s triumphant outing in the Chennai Test, the first of their 10-match season, provided a significant morale boost for the team and its coaching staff.
Ashwin’s all-round performance was a standout feature, complemented by Ravindra Jadeja’s resilient 86 in the first innings. Together, Ashwin and Jadeja forged a crucial 199-run partnership, rescuing India from a challenging 144 for 6 and pushing the team’s score to a formidable 376.
Bumrah’s recent performance helped India restrict Bangladesh to 149 runs in their first innings during the first Test match, where he took four wickets.
Since making his comeback to international cricket in 2023, after an extended period dealing with injuries, Bumrah has been in sensational form, delivering some of the finest bowling spells in recent memory.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin defended Bumrah against criticism for recently declaring himself the “fittest” player in the team. He asserted that the bowler has the right to say whatever he wants.
“Jasprit Bumrah is a fast bowler. He keeps bowling 145 km/h. He is a crowned jewel of Indian cricket. He is the Kohinoor diamond of Indian cricket. Let him say whatever he wants. After Kapil Dev, has there been an Indian bowler bigger than Bumrah?”
Ashwin urged fans and critics to acknowledge Bumrah’s achievement in maintaining his fast bowling speed after recovering from a stress fracture. He likened the endurance required for fast bowlers to that of a heavily loaded truck.
“People want to say that he got injured, how is he the fittest cricketer? There is a lot of difference. One is a tipper lorry and one is a Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz can be driven carefully, it’s chauffeur-driven. Tipper Lorry has to move from north to south with so much load. A fast bowler is a tipper lorry, they will break down. He has come back from a stress fracture and is bowling at 145 km/h. Give him credit.”