Kanpur
India batsman Rohit Sharma feels pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the world’s best death bowlers and have contributed significantly to the recent limited-overs success of the team. While Kumar proved expensive in the series decider against New Zealand, Bumrah bowled brilliantly in the death overs to stop the visitors at 331/7 in response to India’s 337/6.
New Zealand, needing 30 off the last 18 balls with five wickets in hand, were on course for their maiden series win in India before Bumrah dashed their hopes with a match-winning spell. “I think we have the two best death bowlers. If you look at the last series against Australia, the way they bowled, you have to praise them a lot,” said Sharma. “In this match, there was so much dew, the ball was wet. On this wicket, in these conditions, 34 required in four overs, it should have been made easily. It’s only because of these two that we could pull the game back.” In the series against Australia, Steve Smith too had rated Bumrah and Kumar among the best in the business.
Sharma said the bowlers had delivered under pressure many times in the recent past. “Whenever they are put under pressure, they know how to come back. It’s not happened once, it has happened many times now. It’s a good thing for the team going forward,” he said.
