'I Wanted to See How Hungry He Was': Ravi Shastri Recalls Conversation With Jasprit Bumrah Before His Test Debut

Ravi Shastri, former India head coach, recalled when he had a chat with Jasprit Bumrah about his aspirations about playing Test cricket. Bumrah made his ODI and T20I debut on India tour of Australia in 2016 but he had to wait for a couple of more years to get a Test call-up.

The 30-year-old has now become the leader of the Indian pace attack as recently he was crowned as the No. 1 bowler in the ICC Test rankings. He became the first Indian pacer to achieve the feat.

The 30-year-old’s pace prowess was on full display in the second Test against England where he claimed a remarkable match haul of 9/91, playing a pivotal role in India’s series-levelling victory.

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In an interview with former England skipper Michael Atherton, who writes for ‘The Times’, Shastri remembered his conversation with Bumrah where the pacer had told him playing Test would be the “biggest day” of his life.

“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,” Shastri recalled.

“He was labelled 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.”

Bumrah went on to make his Test debut against South Africa in Cape Town in January 2018.

“He’s so excited to be playing and doing well in Test cricket,” said Shastri who debunked the notion of Bumrah being solely a white-ball specialist for his exploits with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

“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.”

Reflecting on the criticism, Shastri stressed the significance of Test cricket and the enduring legacy it creates.

“They know, at the end of the day, no one remembers white ball averages. They will always remember your numbers in Test cricket,” he affirmed.