Ponting’s Bumrah battle plan "Run down the wicket and go big!

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Jasprit Bumrah’s scintillating performance in the first Test at Perth, where he claimed eight wickets and led India to a massive 295-run victory over Australia, has sparked intense debate about his place among the all-time greats. At times during his spell, Bumrah looked completely unplayable, leaving the Australian batsmen struggling to find a way to score. Reflecting on how he would tackle Bumrah, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting joked, “I’d charge him every ball, run down the wicket, and smash him back over his head. Obviously, that’s all in jest, but I’d be proactive, putting pressure back on him. I’d be reacting to the ball, but I’d aim to score. The reason he’s so effective is because he doesn’t allow you to score. But the best batsmen don’t let bowlers dominate them that way—that’s how I’d approach him.” Ponting drew parallels with other greats, saying, “It’s all about building pressure, like Curtly Ambrose or Glenn McGrath.

The best fast bowlers make scoring a near-impossible task. Bumrah is no different—he makes it incredibly tough to get runs off him.” After reaching 400 wickets with an astonishing average of 20.88, second only to Joel Garner, Bumrah’s dominance has reignited discussions on his place among the game's all-time greats. Ponting wasted no time in declaring, “He’s undoubtedly India’s greatest fast bowler. Unlike many legends before him, Bumrah plays all three formats and excels in each. I can confidently say that in T20s, ODIs, and Tests, he’s the best in the world right now. It’s not just about the wickets, it’s about maintaining a consistently high level of performance over time. When the conditions are right, we’ve seen just how devastating he can be.”