Give Bumrah at least two overs in powerplay: Gavaskar

The tussle between Harry Brook and Jasprit Bumrah will shape the outcome of India’s T20 World Cup semifinal clash against England, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has predicted, while urging the home side to give its pace spearhead at least two overs in the powerplay.

Reigning champions India will take on England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday in a repeat of the semifinal matches in the 2022 and 2024 editions.

‘I do believe that he (Bumrah) should be bowling at least two overs in the powerplay because as a new-ball bowler, if he can get those early wickets... Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Harry Brook, he will have pretty much broken the back of the England batting,’ Gavaskar told select media ahead of the DP World Celebrity Golf Event to create awareness about the CHAMPS Foundation.

Bumrah has been mostly bowling one over during the power play, with the team saving at least two of his overs at the death. However, in the lost Super Eight game against South Africa, he had bowled two overs upfront.

‘...him coming in to bowl the fifth over, when four overs have already been bowled, and the batters have got about 20 deliveries, means that both batters have got about 8-10 deliveries to settle in. So, wouldn’t it be better than for Bumrah and for India if Bumrah were to bowl to them first and get them out?’ he wondered.

Gavaskar expects the game to be a ‘humdinger’ with the hosts holding a slight edge because of their flexible batting unit and Bumrah.

In 2022, England subjugated India by 10 wickets at Adelaide while Rohit Sharma’s team tamed the Three Lions two years later at Providence, West Indies.

‘Both sides are very well-matched. They have got batting and bowling. They have got middle-order and, you know, the finisher. Both teams have variety in their bowling,’ he said.

‘England have got a few players who have played in the IPL, who are familiar with Indian conditions, familiar with the pressure of playing a knockout. So, I think it is going to be a humdinger,’ he added.

So, what makes Bumrah such a devastating bowler across formats? Gavaskar cited his ability to be an enigma as a major factor.

‘If you have read Andre Agassi’s autobiography (Open), how did he pick up where Boris Becker was going to serve? He wasn’t able to pick his serve the first few times, and then he realised that if he had his tongue on the left as he tossed the ball up, then he would be serving wide. If he had his tongue on the right, then he would be serving on the centre line.

‘But in Bumrah’s case, he doesn’t give you anything away. Therefore, it’s very, very difficult to read him. And because he sort of goes wide and then delivers the ball, you often tend to think it’s going to basically come in. But he can get the ball to move away. So that’s why he’s been such a devastating bowler in all three forms,’ he noted.

Another advantage India has, as per Gavaskar, is a highly flexible batting unit, and he gave the example of Tilak Varma batting at various positions in this ICC showpiece.

Tilak batted at Number 3 initially, but moved down to No. 5 and 6 once the team management decided to draft in Sanju Samson into the eleven.

However, the left-hander made telling contributions in the Super Eight matches against Zimbabwe and the West Indies, guiding India to the semifinals.

‘I have always thought of Tillak Varma as a very smart cricketer, somebody who assesses the situation well and then plays accordingly. I think down the order at Number 5 or 6, he really can see what the need of the hour is. I think the way he batted (vs Windies), he really took the pressure off Samson.

‘If he (Tilak) was struggling, then Samson would have had to take a few risks. In recent times, we have been told that batting order can be flexible. And I think India is fortunate to have players like Tilak who can bat at 3 or even bat at 5 or 6,’ he added.

Veteran batter Jos Buttler might be struggling a bit in this tournament, but Gavaskar reminded India of the dangers of taking the Englishman lightly.

‘He can be the kind of dangerous player that Abhishek Sharma is. So, I think getting Buttler’s wicket early is going to be ideal. He can be, as we’ve seen in the IPL and in the ICC events, such a destructive batter.

‘He’s going through a lean patch, just like, you know, Samson went through, or even Suryakumar Yadav was going through for some time. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed that, you know, he doesn’t find firm on Thursday,’ he said.