Varun Aaron says Jasprit Bumrah makes exceptional use of his natural ability.
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: Former India pacer Varun Aaron compared Jasprit Bumrah’s ability to control the ball to that of the great Wasim Akram, speaking about Bumrah’s performance in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“That’s one of the finest series I’ve seen an Indian fast bowler have. I would say the last memory I’ve had of a subcontinent fast bowler bowling that way is that of Wasim Akram – absolutely doing whatever he wanted to do with that cricket ball, and that’s what Bumrah did this time,” he said at the Keenan stadium here.

Aaron highlighted Bumrah’s exceptional use of his natural ability. “I think he makes the best use of his natural ability, which is pace off the wicket. That’s why, no matter how many times you play Bumrah, you can never really line him up. He’s so quick off the wicket. That’s because he’s very hyper-mobile. He gets that extra whip through the end of his action. And that’s what’s his biggest strength,” he said.

The 35-year-old emphasised that India needs to work on developing the other pacers around Bumrah.

“I would say India has to still work on the other parts around Bumrah. Because, in the BGT series, Bumrah was a standout by far. Nobody could come close to him. And I feel that gap should narrow if India wants to win tours abroad.

“I think it’s just about experience. You’ve got a young fast-bowling lineup, except for Bumrah. Siraj also has not been there for years. He’s also pretty new. So, I think the more experience they get, the better they’ll get,” he said.