Jadeja believes that the management of the team needs to unleash the India pacer more frequently after witnessing Umran Malik slamming the speedometer with a delivery of 155 kph. Umran Malik, a speedster from India, continues to wow. Umran has played in nine ODI and Test matches for India since making his debut. Against Ireland in July of last year, improving with each match.
Umran has demonstrated remarkable accuracy for someone who typically clocks in the mid-140s given his deadly pace. The fact that Umran, a 23-year-old quick, has already made a few memorable wicket-taking deliveries in his short career is evidence of the promising career that the player has in store for him. He finished with 2/27 from four overs in Tuesday’s first T20I against Sri Lanka in Mumbai.
Charith Asalanka was his first wicket, and in the 17th over, when captain Dasun Shanaka was threatening to take the match away from India, he came to his team’s rescue. Umran cracked the speedometer and bowled a delivery at 155 clicks with Shanaka on 45 off 26 balls. Shanaka hit it straight to Yuzvendra Chahal at extra cover, giving India some much-needed breathing room.
Ajay Jadeja, a former cricketer for India, is impressed by what he has seen of young Umran. But he has some advice for Team India regarding the young pacer. Umran came in as the primary bowling change after chief Hardik Pandya and debutant Shivam Mavi opened with the new ball, however, Jadeja figures the administration needs to treat him marginally unique to the other bowlers given the unique case he offers that would be useful
“You want him in an unexpected way because he is one-of-a-kind and not quite like the other people. You must take care of him. He must specialize in a different area. He’ll take some time because there aren’t many bowlers who bowl at that speed. So you won’t be used to seeing where the ball goes. What makes him the best of himself? However, in the final, he bowled, and he demonstrated that. He was hit for a six, but he kept going and got a wicket.
“None of the bowlers have bowled at this speed before. He moves well and has a great rhythm. You must let him go. If you hold him tight and train him to bowl defensively, you might miss out on something very special. He may take a little longer to become a bowler who takes wickets, but he has something that no other Indian bowler has. A ton of players have to skip nowadays. There are many fast bowlers who are pretty good with the seam and all, but air-pace bowlers are rare in India.
I simply seek divine intervention that he is utilized in an unexpected way.” He is expected to run out of runs at Umran’s pace, which is especially true when playing T20Is. Having said that, Jadeja believes that the management should examine Umran beyond his economic rate going forward. Jadeja is confident that the young pacer can wreak havoc in the future. Once the ball gets older because Umran has primarily bowled with the old ball over the course of 50 overs.