Olympic Javelin gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has recommended a technical change to India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, suggesting the pacer increase his run-up that would help him in increasing his pace.
The Tokyo Olympic gold medalist witnessed Jasprit Bumrah for the first time in an international live match during the World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium last month.
Speaking with the Indian Express, Neeraj Chopra gushed in praise for Bumrah and his unique action, adding that Bumrah should look to lengthen his run-up as, he feels, that would add more speed to his deliveries.
“I like Jasprit Bumrah, I find his action unique. I feel he should lengthen his run-up to add more pace. As a javelin thrower, we often discuss how bowlers can increase their pace if they start their run-up from a little further back. I like Bumrah’s style,” Neeraj Chopra said.
Australia were confident about their game: Neeraj Chopra
Neeraj Chopra hailed the mental strength of the Australian team. Australia restricted India to 240 and chased it down with 6 wickets and 7 overs to spare as Travis Head slammed a memorable century.
Chopra, who has shown his temperament at the highest levels over the past couple of years, reckoned Australia were fully confident of their strategies and planning.
“This was the first time I watched a match fully. When I was on the flight, India had lost three wickets already. Virat (Kohli) bhai and KL Rahul were batting when I reached. There are some technical things that I don’t understand. Batting in the daytime wasn’t very easy. In the evening, I think, batting became easy. But our guys tried. Sometimes, it’s just not our day. But, frankly, everyone had a great tournament.”
“Maybe, somewhere mentally, the Australian team held an edge at the start. When they bowled, I found they had a strong mindset. In the end, they had completely flipped it over. They were confident about their game,” Chopra added.