Jasprit Bumrah is like a computer constantly calibrating what is needed in any given situation: Steven Finn

Former England pacer Steven Finn has hailed the Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah as he went on to scalp his 12th five-wicket haul away from home on Day 3 of the ongoing Headingley Test against England.

As Bumrah bowled England out for 465 runs and India took a six-run lead, Finn stated that the Indian seamer is like a computer, constantly thinking about what is needed in any given situation. Furthermore, he added that despite watching a lot of hours of Bumrah’s footage, batters would still be surprised when they face him.

"He is like a computer constantly calibrating what is needed in any given situation, and he is able to implement almost exactly what he wants to with absolute precision. A batter could watch as many hours of Bumrah footage as they like, yet still be surprised when they face him. There is no one to 'tell' as to what he is going to bowl. No change of arm path, no change of finger position. A batter can only rely on reacting to what is coming their way,” Finn told BBC.

Moreover, Finn also reckoned that Bumrah should’ve been the first choice Test captain if not for his workload concerns. Interestingly, the star pacer is expected to play only three out of five Tests in the ongoing Test series.

"Bumrah is a thinker about the game and would have been India's first choice as the new Test captain has it not been for his struggle to play in every match. He took the decision himself to not pursue the job as he did not feel it was fair on the team. We're lucky to be in an era of great fast bowlers,” he added. 

Subsequently, Finn asserted that among the recent international retirees and the current star pacers, Jasprit Bumrah stands on top in the pole position as the finest pacer to have played the game.

From recent international retirees Stuart Broad and James Anderson, to Kagiso Rabada, Cummins, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, Bumrah sits atop of them all as the finest fast bowler to have played the game. Some accolade,” he concluded.

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