The rise of India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, to the World No. 1 ranking in Tests, is not overnight. He was already a force to reckon with, in the white-ball format, and just grew in stature, over time, in the Tests as well.
In fact, some amount of planning on part of then coach Ravi Shastri, and skipper Virat Kohli went in there as well. Shastri, recalling the incident told Michael Atherton for The Times, “I remember my first call to him, it was in Kolkata. I asked him would he be interested in Test cricket. He said that would be the biggest day of his life.
“He was labeled as a white-ball cricketer without asking him. But I knew. I wanted to see how hungry he was. I told him to get ready, be prepared. I told him I was going to unleash him in South Africa.”
Shastri added, that Bumrah wanted to play Test cricket with Virat. “He was desperate to play Test cricket with Virat Kohli. They know, at the end of the day, no one remembers white ball averages. They will always remember your numbers in Test cricket.”
