New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) Former England fast bowlers Stuart Broad and Steven Finn have lavished praise on India’s pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, calling him the ‘greatest pacer ever’ following his match-winning performance against England in the T20 World Cup semifinal.

Bumrah played a pivotal role in India’s dominant victory, delivering a stunning 18th over where he conceded just six runs, effectively derailing England’s chase. His exceptional bowling helped India reach the final for the second consecutive edition of the T20 World Cup. In a high-scoring match, where both teams maintained a near 12.5 runs per over rate, Bumrah gave away only 33 runs across his four overs and claimed the crucial wicket of England captain Harry Brook with his very first delivery.

Steven Finn, who represented England between 2010 and 2016, was full of admiration for Bumrah’s skills, declaring him the greatest bowler of all time. “Everyone else is mortal. There are good bowlers, there are great bowlers, but then there is Jasprit Bumrah, who sits above all of them at the moment. And I include people like (Pat) Cummins, (Mitchell) Starc. I think he’s just on another planet when compared to any other bowler,” Finn said in a conversation with Broad.

Broad, who ranks as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history, echoed Finn’s sentiments. “You could put a really strong argument that he is the greatest quick bowler ever. Malcolm Marshall, Richard Hadley, Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath – all these guys. It’s difficult to make comparisons because we didn’t see Malcolm Marshall in a T20 World Cup semifinal, where the ball is flying to all parts. He is certainly the best I’ve ever seen, that is for sure,” said Broad.

Bumrah’s figures in the ongoing T20 World Cup are a testament to his brilliance. With 10 wickets, he is India’s second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Despite playing on flat Indian pitches, his economy rate of 6.62 is the second-best in the competition for bowlers who have bowled more than 12 overs. Alongside Arshdeep Singh, he also shares the record as India’s highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history.

As India prepares for the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, Bumrah’s form and experience will be crucial as they look to claim their third T20 World Cup title.

Bumrah, India’s premier pacer, achieved a monumental career milestone during the semi-final against England at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday as he became only the eighth Indian bowler to reach 500 international wickets, joining an elite club that includes cricketing legends Anil Kumble, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Kapil Dev, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, and Javagal Srinath as the seven other bowlers to have achieved the feat.

–IANS

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