David Warner surprised by Jasprit Bumrah’s yorkers and bouncers

Mumbai, January 15: Australian opener David Warner was surprised by the yorkers and bouncers of India’s pace-spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. Warner, who remained unbeaten on 128 in his team’s 10-wicket win against India in the ODI series opener at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, negated Bumrah’s challenge well. Skipper Aaron Finch also hit a blazing hundred (110 not out) as the Australians romped home with plenty to spare. Warner, one of the best left-handers in the world, said it was all about keeping still when he was asked about how he prepares for bowlers like Bumrah and chinaman Kuldeep Yadav.

“It’s about being nice and still. I can’t imagine someone like Brett Lee running in from almost the boundary and just sort of staggering in there and all of a sudden bowl 150kmph, it takes a while to get used to and that’s great skill from Bumrah. “His (Bumrah’s) bouncers surprise you, his yorkers surprise you and then when he bowls the change-up it’s very, very difficult, it’s like when Lasith Malinga at his prime, he bowled 140kmph and swung them. “… But you knew you were going to get a yorker or a bouncer but it was how are you going to play that and that’s what’s so unique,” added Warner.

Warner finds Kuldeep’s bowling a fraction slower and admitted that reading the chinaman bowlers was difficult. “And with Kuldeep (Yadav), he’s got great change-ups as well. I find that he’s bowling a fraction slower these days, quite different to Rashid Khan who bowls at 100kmph, under lights I think left-arm chinamans are very difficult to pick,” he added. Both Bumrah and Kuldeep had an off day at the Wankhede and would be raring to go when the two teams face off each other at Rajkot on Friday (January 17).