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Explained: Why Jasprit Bumrah has poor numbers against New Zealand

Casting a closer look as to why Indian cricket star Jasprit Bumrah has struggled against New Zealand despite doing well against other Test playing nations

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Jasprit Bumrah (Source-X)

Indian pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah has been at the top of his game since he made his Test debut in early 2018. In 40 matches, the 30-year-old has picked 173 wickets, which roughly translates to four wickets per game. Bumrah and his exploits with the ball have made him the number-one fast bowler in the world. 

However, the 30-year-old has picked just 9 wickets from five Test matches against New Zealand. Ever wondered while the rest of the teams have succumbed to Bumrah, why the Kiwis play him better? The best example of Bumrah’s struggles was evident during the 2021 World Test Championships final. 

India’s ace pacer failed to trouble the Kiwi batters despite the game being played in England. This was the same venue where Bumrah had made a huge mark during his first tour in 2018. The likes of Michael Holding were singing his praises as he swung the ball around admirably. 

How does New Zealand play Bumrah better?

Kiwi batters, especially Tom Latham, don’t seem to push at the ball early when playing Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball. Even former skipper Kane Williamson used this ploy during the aforementioned game. New Zealand watched for the ball coming in and left the deliveries that were going away. 

Compare this with someone like Joe Root, who has fallen prey to the Indian seamer. England’s run machine tends to play away from his body and more often than not falls to the outswing. The set-up is simple, Bumrah tends to bring the ball back into Root targeting his off and middle stump. 

With the batter playing on the front foot, Bumrah then bowls the away-going ball to get the nick of the bat. The Kiwis use their crease well when playing the pacer and they get onto the backfoot and stand still with their head movements in place. When Bumrah is in complete control he uses the crease well. 

The pacer also uses the edge of the crease to bowl his awaygoing deliveries. Batters like Tom Latham, Devon Conway, and Rachin Ravindra in particular have been able to steer clear of any attempts to play the full ball. Their scoring shot to Bumrah has been when the ball has been bowled on the short of good-length areas. 

Is this a chink in Bumrah’s armour? Not exactly, but considering that he has had huge experience in the last few years, one expects him to do better. Another alarming fact that has been seen during the current series is the lack of bouncers. Jasprit Bumrah has a lethal bouncer which he hasn’t used. The Kiwis have been able to play him off the backfoot well due to the lack of short balls which unsettles the best in the business. 

Jasprit Bumrah India vs New Zealand
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