Australia v India: Virat Kohli hails 'very scary' Jasprit Bumrah

Dejan Kalinic

Australia v India: Virat Kohli hails 'very scary' Jasprit Bumrah image

India captain Virat Kohli believes it is "very scary" just how well paceman Jasprit Bumrah has started his Test career.

Bumrah, 25, made his Test debut in January and has taken 48 wickets at an average of 21.02 in nine matches in 2018.

The paceman helped India retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Sunday as they beat Australia by 137 runs in Melbourne to take a 2-1 lead in the four-Test series.

Bumrah was named the player of the match after taking 9-86 and Kohli hailed the right-arm paceman.

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"The way he has matured in Test cricket and the areas he is bowling so soon, so quickly in his Test career is a very scary sign for all the batsmen around the world," Kohli told a news conference.

"In Test cricket if there is a pitch like Perth, I wouldn't want to face Jasprit Bumrah to be honest, because once he's on a roll he can really crank it up."

Bumrah had already impressed in the limited-overs formats before getting his chance in Tests.

Kohli said Bumrah's approach was what separated him from other fast bowlers around the world.

"He was showing amazing levels of energy and fitness in white-ball cricket, hence, he was so good because he was not giving runs with the new ball, he was getting wickets and then he would come back in the death overs and not one loose delivery," he said.

"He was training like he wanted to play Test cricket. The mindset he has is what separates him from anyone else in the world.

"He looks at a pitch and he doesn't think it's a hard toil, he thinks wickets, he thinks 'how can I make a breakthrough?' for the team.

"Your mindset separates you from the rest."

Dejan Kalinic