We were always confident of Bumrah succeeding in Test cricket, says India bowling coach Bharat Arun

The star of the fourth day of the Melbourne Test was perhaps Pat Cummins, who picked up six Indian wickets before keeping Australia afloat with a gritty unbeaten half-century.

But the Indian bowlers picked up eight wickets to put their team on the brink of a historic victory – two more wickets and India will take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series. The team’s bowling coach, Bharat Arun, naturally, applauded the efforts of his bowlers, especially of the pacers. He spoke of the success of Jasprit Bumrah, and the improvement of Ravindra Jadeja among other things.

Excerpts from the press-conference:

On Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling style:

He’s very unique. Maybe the batsmen pick his deliveries late and that makes him more potent. For a fast-bowler, who’s consistently bowling 140+ kph, you need to generate a lot of speed from your arms. We were confident of his success even before he started playing Tests. Even in the IPL (Indian Premier League), most batsmen said it was difficult to pick him. He did exceptionally well in domestic championships as well.

On Bumrah’s action:

I had the opportunity to work with Bumrah during his U-19 days at the National Cricket Academy. Bumrah was able to generate a lot of pace with his action. He puts a lot of strain on his body though. It was a challenge – we had a discussion with the physios and the trainers. We, then, concluded that we need to work on him to get him to become extremely strong to be able to sustain his bowling.

On Indian fast-bowlers in 2018:

Definitely [it’s been the year of Indian fast bowlers]. In South Africa, England and now, they have done exceptionally well. It’s a combination of lot of work – identifying what are the requirements to bowl fast over a period of time; the strength and conditioning expert Mr [Shankar] Basu and the physio have played a major role in making these fast bowlers.

Load monitoring is extremely crucial if you want them to last over a period of time. Their inputs, thereby, become extremely important. I think it’s team work. It’s not just the coaches together. There have been great fast bowlers before but to have a bunch of them in the team – I think this is the first time.

On the Indian pacers using the old ball well:

Most Indian bowlers in domestic cricket, they use the old ball well because in the sub-continent the newer ball doesn’t move much. And then, most of the wickets are conducive to spin. So, the only way the fast bowlers can make an impression is when they learn to move the old ball, reverse it. The domestic structure in India has really helped the fast bowlers evolve.

On India struggling to finish off tail-enders:

There are many occasions where we’ve got tail-enders early. And, you must give credit when it’s due. I thought [Pat] Cummins played exceptionally well today. There were a few balls that went in the air and in the gaps. But give him credit when it’s due.

On Ravindra Jadeja’s performance:

I think Jadeja has matured a lot over the years. He’s gained a lot of confidence. The way he played today and the way he played in England – you can be quite confident that Jadeja can lead the spinning attack. A spinner maturing is him discovering himself. He tries various angles from where he can deliver the ball, what he could do with slight changes in the positions of the wrists. In the last two years, Jadeja’s learnt quite a lot.

On Australian batting:

We really focus on what we can do. I thought the Indian bowlers did an exceptional job.

On the offensive commentary:

Yes, it does hurt you when people make those remarks but there’s nothing you can do about it because it’s beyond your control. Right now, [we haven’t decided on making an official complaint].

On the IPL’s impact on Indian cricket:

I think the IPL’s a great platform for youngsters to showcase their skills. And rubbing shoulders with top international cricketers would work a long way in improving their confidence.