Rohit Brijnath is the sort of sportswriter who can make a sportslover love sport even more. But this one is about Jasprit Bumrah. And Brijnath in his typical style invokes the legends…from a Messi to Nadal to Warne to Federer. Bumrah has a long way to go before he can be quoted in the same breath but given that he, alongside Pujara sculpted what is a historic test series win Down Under, Brijnath will be excused. If Sandeep Dwivedi’s sublime prose was about Pujara’s grind up to greatness, Brijnath’s ode romanticises Bumrah’s exciting talent from a fan’s perspective. Here is why:
Because he is fast and he takes us back in time in 1970-80’s when everything was slow—“ But really in Kolkata, where I come from, life in the 1970-80s was unhurried. Even the tea seemed to brew more slowly. Babus slurped it and gravelly pondered every request as if it was an existential question. Trams rattled and wheezed, street-side bookshops were lingered at and the world was debated without conclusion at coffee shops. Bishen Singh Bedi turned his arm over at Eden Gardens like a man in a slow trance, Sunil Gavaskar batted time, Ramesh Krishnan’s serve took part of a day to cross the net and my dad wanted to take me to Alekhine Chess Club to watch carved pieces move. So excuse me if I keep staring at the radar gun after each Bumrah delivery – 140kmh. 142.5. 148..”
Because he’s an adult – “Bumrah is a send-off-free hero who is too smart to be a stereotype, too evolved to be just another swearing, pointing, glaring fast bowler.”
Because he makes things happen- “When he holds the ball, I always find my chair, as if I’m attending a private concert. There’s no one else in the Indian team I do that for. Not even Kohli (sorry, mate).”
Because He’s Always At Batsmen- “He’s suffocating in his own way, imprisoning with his accuracy, asking questions as fast and intelligently as an interrogator from an Aaron Sorkin script, frustrating batsmen, making them hurry, giving no respite”
Because Of That Action- “We’ve all played against a kid like him in our youth. Or the one who didn’t move his left arm and just rolled his right arm over. Or the cack-handed hockey guy and the tennis fellow who chased his service toss. We used to laugh because we believed only in the classical. As if there was a set way for everything.”
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Note: The above material is neither investment research, nor financial advice. Marcellus does not seek payment for or business from this publication in any shape or form. The information provided is intended for educational purposes only. Marcellus Investment Managers is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and is also an FME (Non-Retail) with the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) as a provider of Portfolio Management Services. Additionally, Marcellus is also registered with US Securities and Exchange Commission (“US SEC”) as an Investment Advisor.
