Jasprit Bumrah: Pacer for all seasons and surfaces

Bowler scalps first fifer on home soil and 300th victim across formatsBENGALURU: Barring his everlasting smile, Jasprit Bumrah is a man of few emotions. Outlandish celebrations or barbs and jibes exchanged with batsmen are a rarity. On Sunday at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, he allowed himself a celebration, and he had more than one reason to do so. The 28-year-old, a tireless worker and a magician with the ball, reaffirmed his status as the lynchpin of the Indian bowling attack and a pacer destined for greatness.

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On Sunday, Day 2 of the second and final Test of the series, the hosts began their victory march as Sri Lanka were 28/1 in at stumps in their second innings. They were left with a mountain to climb over the next three days, needing another mammoth 419 runs for victory.

On a rank turner in Bengaluru, Bumrah put up a stirring exhibition of precision, discipline and execution as he claimed his first five-wicket haul on Indian soil in his 28th Test match appearance. Given the nature of the track, Bumrah's show was reminiscent of former pace merchant Javagal Srinath's 6 for 12 against South Africa on a rank turner at Ahmedabad in 1996. Coincidently, Srinath is the match referee here. The dismissal of Niroshan Dickwella, his fourth on the day, also signalled his 300th international wicket (across formats). For the right-arm bowler, who made his Test debut against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018, his other five-stick hauls have been in Australia, England, South Africa and the West Indies. This was also the best figures by a seamer against Sri Lanka at home.

On a dusty track, which had little in terms of purchase for pacers, Bumrah was relentless with