Former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath praised the recent rise in the number of Indian fast bowlers in Chennai on Thursday, reported PTI.
“To see so many fast bowlers come through (from India) is wonderful,” said the Aussie pace bowler and current director of the MRF Pace Foundation. “To be a fast bowler in India is the toughest job in the world. The wickets here are conducive to spin and batting. One has to really work hard as a bowler, especially a paceman. To see (many) people bowling at 140 kph-plus, high 140s (kph) is promising.”
The 47-year-old had special praise for India’s current crop of fast bowlers, which include Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.
“They are going well. Umesh (Yadav) is doing exceptionally well at the moment, bowling at a good pace and picking up wickets too. (Bhuvneshwar) Kumar knows his game pretty well, gets it in the right areas; swings it at a recent pace,” said McGrath.
He added, “Jasprit Bumrah, we have done a little bit of work with him, has a unique action and is a unique bowler. He has done well in the shorter versions of the game, the T20s and ODIs and bowls at the death. He is very intelligent with the way he bowls at the death. I have been impressed and he can get better. The Indian team’s bowlers are looking very good.”
McGrath specifically praised Bumrah’s yorkers and slower balls and hoped that he could transfer his skills to the longest version of the game.
When it came to his own team, the former Aussie great marked out Mitchell Starc for special praise. “When he is on song, it is Starc [the best in the business]. When he is swinging the new ball at around 150-155 kph, bowling attacking lengths, he is lethal,” he said.
McGrath also praised the pacers who had emerged from the MRF Pace Foundation under his watch. “I feel happy to see many of the boys come through. Some of them are performing well,” he said. “Look at Basil Thampi, who won the emerging player award in the recent IPL. (Ashwin) Crist has learned a lot in the last two seasons, picked up wickets and will become a better bowler with experience.”
