Jasprit Bumrah is the Terminator: Ex-Aussie pacer decodes India star’s genius

Former Australian pacer Damien Fleming marvels at Jasprit Bumrah’s unique bowling attributes, calling him ‘The Terminator’ for his relentless ability to adapt and exploit batsmen’s weaknesses instinctively. Fleming said Bumrah’s ability to execute his wide range of skills with incredible precision sets him apart from the rest and makes him one of the finest pacers to have ever played the game.
Fleming, speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, broke down every aspect of Bumrah’s routine in the middle — from his run-up to release, explaining his potency across all formats of the game.
Damien Fleming’s analysis comes after Jasprit Bumrah rattled the Australian batting lineup in Perth, inspiring India to a famous win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener in November. Bumrah was nearly unplayable, finishing with eight wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings. Australia’s big guns, including Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, and Marnus Labuschagne, had no answers to Bumrah’s bursts with the red Kookaburra at the Optus Stadium.
Bumrah averages just over 20 in Test cricket with 181 wickets in 41 Test matches. Statistically, Bumrah is already in the league of greats. While his unique action earned him the spotlight in the nascent stages of his career, Bumrah has managed to stay ahead of the batters. Despite the incredible analysis available for batters, they have not been able to crack the Bumrah code.
“He’s always stalking the batsman, planning his next move,” Fleming said, referring to the famous slower ball in 2018 that dismissed Australia’s Shaun Marsh as a perfect example of deception and improvisation.
Bumrah’s arsenal is unmatched, encompassing inswingers, outswingers, off-cutters, slower balls, bouncers, and pinpoint yorkers.
“Not only does he have a wide skill set, but he executes it better than anyone,” Fleming said.
One of Bumrah’s standout traits is his unconventional run-up, which is more of a shuffle than a sprint, reminiscent of Wasim Akram and Jeff Thomson, Fleming noted.
“His run-up goes the opposite of what we generally teach,” he said.
“Around 60 per cent of your speed comes from your run-up, and you’ve got to get real momentum towards the crease. It’s like the build-up of a train, and good speed momentum towards the target, then the extra 40 per cent would be through your action.
“I’d be guessing that Bumrah’s more like 30 per cent from his run-up and 70 per cent from his action. When I halved my run-up I felt like I got a little bit quicker, but you create a perception from the batter that you won’t be that quick. When you faced Brett Lee, Waqar Younis or Shoaib Akhtar sprinting in at you, there’s something innate preparing you that this is going to be quick and that helps you play the ball.
“But when you face Wasim Akram, Jeff Thomson or Bumrah, nothing prepares you for the pace that’s coming because the run-up is short. Thommo increased his run-up speed later in his career and wished that he hadn’t because it didn’t transfer to extra ball speed. Bumrah creates an optical illusion there.”
Fleming also highlighted that Bumrah’s hyperextension further sets him apart, allowing him to release the ball 30 centimetres closer to the batter.
“His hyperextension is as drastic as I’ve seen,” he said.
“Most fast bowlers do hypertextend to a degree, and sometimes the quicker they are the more they have it. Hyperextension is different to throwing because it is an involuntary action – I don’t think you can coach it. But it adds to that catapult effect, more stretch to generate force.
“I was astounded when we first looked at that, and a lot of the bowlers were six or seven centimetres in front of the crease. Pat Cummins is about 20cm, so the ball hits the bat and the batter looks a bit shocked. So for Bumrah, the pitch is 32cm shorter…”
A critical element of Bumrah’s mastery is his exceptional wrist position, according to Fleming.
“The last effect is his wrist flexion. That’s also as extreme as I’ve ever seen,” he said.
So you think the ball is going to be bowled, but it still hasn’t left the hand because his wrist has to come through. He gets pace there too.
“All this delayed stuff you’re waiting for, the ball doesn’t come, and then it does and you’re shocked with how quickly it gets there. The other thing about his wrist is that he can make a really late decision about what he’s going to bowl because of subtle changes in wrist position,” he added.