Former India and South Africa cricketers Irfan Pathan and Morne Morkel hailed Jasprit Bumrah, terming him the "leader of India's pace attack." Bumrah, who became the fastest Indian to 100 Test wickets away from home in the first Test against South Africa, will once again be crucial for India's chances in the ongoing second Test match at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Morkel, who was a part of the South African side against which Bumrah made his Test debut in 2018, said it was "fantastic" to see the right-arm seamer evolve into India's premier fast bowler.
"I remember the first time we saw him here... He obviously made his debut in South Africa. Just to see him grow in these years and become the leader of the Indian attack is just fantastic," Morkel said on Star Sports before the start of the second day's play on Tuesday.
Bumrah was one of India's top performers in the previous Test in Centurion which India won by 113 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match series. His two deliveries to dismiss Rassie van der Dussen and Kehsav Maharaj late on Day 4 were hailed by the experts.
Explaining the reasons behind Bumrah's success, Morkel said the right-armer has "raw pace."
"He's got natural raw pace. A batter needs a couple of balls to get used to his action. It's more about the partnerships he forms with other bowlers, he really creates a lot of pressure. Whether Bumrah bowls at a slow pitch or a fast pitch, his pace is always consistent. He angles the ball into the body, making it a batter's nightmare. No batter wants to face that sort of bowling. He can also straighten it from the off stump... He's just a top-quality bowler," Morkel added.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said "aggressive" Bumrah is a complete package but he might end up getting more wickets if pitches it slightly fuller in South African conditions.
"He's the leader of the attack and a very aggressive bowler. Now that he has started to use the angles, the batters are finding it more difficult. He bowls the inswing, bowls the outswing, bowls yorker in Test cricket regularly. I would like him to bowl slightly fuller on South African conditions," Irfan said.