Dinesh Karthik heaps praise on Jasprit Bumrah after his impressive spell in 1st Test against England, calls him 'modern-day great'

Veteran cricketer and commentator Dinesh Karthik heaped massive praise on Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah after his scintillating performance in the ongoing Test series against England. Although India lost the five-match series opener in Hyderabad by 28 runs, Bumrah was on the money despite the surface not offering much for the pacers.

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The 30-year-old has once again proved that he is a vital asset to Team India and can perform well regardless of the opponents and the conditions. Bumrah took two wickets in the first innings and was at his best in the second innings, prompting Karthik to call him a "modern-day great".

In a chat with prominent commentator Harsha Bhogle on Cricbuzz, the wicket-keeper batter said that Bumrah is a dream bowler and is "par excellence" in all formats of the game. 

"I don't like to use the word great too easily. But I am not shy calling Jasprit Bumrah a modern-day great, without a doubt. What he brings to the table in any format is par excellence. As a captain, he is the dream bowler. You need a big batsman out, give the ball to Bumrah; he has an attitude to say, 'I want to bowl against him.' There's nothing happening and the pitch is dead, he will find a way to give you the best in his spell," Karthik said. 

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Karthik compares Bumrah with legendary pacers

The Tamil Nadu cricketer said that Bumrah is among the few pacers who can move the ball both ways. Karthik then drew comparisons with Pakistan legends Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis along with England speedster James Anderson. 

"In reverse swing, to bring the ball back in is an art, which Siraj and a lot of other bowlers do. But to take the ball away for a right-hander, not many people can do it. If you do jog your mind, you think about Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis."

"Very few people could do it both ways. That's what made him (Bumrah) so special. James Anderson has done it. In fact, there are very few bowlers who could do it at the same pace, and Bumrah is one of those."

India are currently trailing 1-0 in the series and will look to bounce back in the second Test in Visakhapatnam.India will be hoping that the vice-captain will produce another exceptional performance to level the series.