Manchester: Jasprit Bumrah’s amazing skill-set gives India a realistic chance of winning the World Cup but a ‘freak’ called David Warner might just retain it for Australia, feels 2015 World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke.
The former Aussie skipper Clarke explained why India and Australia are top three contenders while making it clear that the coveted Cup may not ‘come home’ for the hosts contrary to what the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan are wishing.
One of the most delightful batsmen to have played the game, Clarke is in awe of the legend of Bumrah which has been on the upswing for two years now.
“I think there is nothing that he (Bumrah) doesn’t have. He is fit and healthy. I hope he stays that way as he would play a big part in India’s success in their third World Cup quest,” Clarke observed.
But the Indian pacer will face quite a challenge from Australia, especially Warner, who has already scored 447 runs in six games with two hundreds.
“I did expect an exceptional performance from David because he is an exceptional player. He is a freak. He is the X-factor in this team. If Australia go on to win the World Cup, David Warner will be the highest run-getter in my opinion,” opined Clarke.
Questioned as to what makes Bumrah such a difficult proposition for batsmen, Clarke elaborated, “With the brand new ball, he can swing and seam it. When the ball is doing nothing in the middle overs, he has the extra pace to trouble batsmen.
“At the death, he bowls those yorkers as good as anyone else. And if there is reverse swing, he is a genius,” the former Australian captain summed up the Indian pace spearhead in a nutshell.
Meanwhile, nothing makes Clarke happier than to see his former teammate in prime form putting all the controversies behind him.
“People are saying David Warner is not at his best. But he has had two scores of 150. That shows how good a player he is and he is now a leading run-scorer in the tournament,” Clarke said.
“David played smart. He has batted for a period of time. Remember before he got back into ODI cricket, he was back in T20 cricket after a 12-month lay-off.”
However, when asked if the World Cup is coming home or not for the English fans, the Australian humour came out. “I know Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan were thinking that. I wonder if they will change their mind now. It’s still a long way to go,” he grinned.
“England have played some good cricket have probably need to win two out of the next three games to make it to the semis and they have got Australia, India and New Zealand to play.
“If they do it and go on to win the World Cup, it will be a fantastic achievement. I would be commentating on the June 25th game (England versus Australia) at Lord’s. I can’t wait for that game to begin,” he said.
