Bumrah & Starc look to learn from opposition bowlers

By Baidurjo Bhose

Leeds, July 4 (IANS) The 2019 edition of the World Cup has once again seen the bowlers rule the roost and while it is being touted that the final of this edition of the World Cup could once again see India and Australia clash -- making it a repeat of the 2003 final in South Africa -- the role of Mitchell Starc and Jasprit Bumrah will be integral for their respective teams.

While Starc has 24 wickets from eight games and has been an integral part of Australia cruising into the semi-final stages of the 2019 World Cup, Bumrah too, has impressed with 14 wickets and is his side's leading wicket-taker along with Mohammed Shami.

Interestingly, while they lead the charge for their respective teams, Starc and Bumrah have once again proved that great minds think alike. Both have revealed that they look to learn from opposition bowlers and how they use the pitch to their advantage.

After impressing all with some brilliant cutters and yorkers against Bangladesh, Bumrah revealed that he looked to imbibe what the likes of Mustafizur Rahman did for his team as he finished with a fifer.

"You saw they used a lot of cutters. Even we learned from that, and we knew that as soon as the ball gets old. So I think that's the nature of the wickets, and that could be the nature of the wickets going forward. The summer is coming now, so the wickets could get drier. So it's good practice for us," he smiled.

And Starc too is looking to keep learning from what the opposition bowlers seem to be doing right. "I guess we keep learning from the opposition when we do bowl second, and I guess that fuller length and that straighter line for me, attacking those stumps, it is pretty much part of my game plan," he said.

(Baidurjo Bhose can be contacted at baidurjo.b@ians.in)