Madan Lal Exclusive: Jasprit Bumrah is 'class act', he will make life miserable for Aussie batters, says former Indian all-rounder

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It takes a lion to appreciate and understand who can roar. Madan Lal, one of the best all-rounders India had in Tests and ODIs, was all praise for fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.

The stand-in captain came in for massive applause from one and all following his exploits in the Perth Test where India whacked the Aussies in the BGT Series. Not only did Bumrah lead from the front, he also took eight wickets.

In an exclusive interview with MyKhel, Madan Lal was emotional when he praised Bumrah sky-high and said he is destined for much greater things. "Look at Bumrah's action, some say it's awkward. Come on, you cannot guess what ball Bumrah is going to fire next at the batters. He has a short run-up and produces so much variety, he makes life miserable for the batter. I tell you, Bumrah is a world-class bowler and if he is doing so well now, all credit to how he has worked so hard," said Madan Lal.

It takes a genuine all-rounder like Madan Lal to appreciate the nuances of what it is to be an Indian fast bowler. "Bumrah is really terrific, he can produce the bouncer, he can move the ball in, move the ball out, and fire that yorker so well. He is just class and going to make life miserable for the Aussie batters further in this series," is Maddi Paaji's prediction.

Going one step further, Madan Lal, who had terrific records in his first-class career as an all-rounder and was a key member of India winning the 1983 Prudential Cup at The Lord's says Bumrah will not ease off.

"Wohh naheen chodega Australia ko," gushed Madan Lal in Hindi, hinting the stand-in skipper who will feature in the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide from December 6 as a pure fast bowler and vice-captain would test the Aussie batters. For those not well-versed in Hindi, 'Maddi Paa' says Bumrah does not believe in the reputation of Aussie batters.

"Yaar, it does not matter if there are batters who have scored even 7,000 runs in Tests for Australia, Bumrah will not spare them. Yeh kheel hee naheen payenge usko," was his answer, loaded with joy. The verdict: Bumrah is simply unplayable, according to Madan Lal.

Speaking about how fast bowling is important to win matches, Madan Lal praised the former captains. "In my time, fast bowlers bowled seven or eight overs and then the spinners came on. This is where I wish to point out how two of our previous captains and legends, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have let the fast bowlers grow and flourish. We can see the results now," said Madan Lal.

What about the 0-3 series loss to New Zealand? Madan Lal got angry when he had to talk of it. "It was foolish to prepare spinning tracks when we have fast bowlers and should have produced sporting wickets," is his assessment.

Madan Lal, 73, still follows cricket very passionately and is a respected cricket analyst on radio and TV. He has backed India even when they have done badly. When Virat Kohli was going through a lean patch three years ago, Madan Lal would almost get agitated when someone criticised Kohli.

"He is just too classy, Kannan," Madan Lal told this writer during a Test match special during a TV show, when Kohli was being hounded by critics. Of course, now, the world is chanting "Kohli, Kohli" after his 30th Test hundred in the Perth Test.

Coming back to Bumrah and leadership, Madan Lal was again very excited. "He has shown he is a shrewd, thinking cricketer and this is not the first time he was leading the side. Definitely, I see in him potential to be India captain in the future as he understands the game," stressed Madan Lal.

Just to make it clear, Madan Lal was not trying to generate any debate on Rohit Sharma versus Jasprit Bumrah. Getting back to his theory on how fast bowlers and medium pacer have been important for India, he recalled the 1983 World Cup.

"Humne jitwaya yaar World Cup, we fast bowlers did well," recalled Madan Lal. In the memorable final against West Indies at The Lord's 41 years ago, it was Madan Lal who rocked the favourites, dismissing three big batsmen (now batters) - Desmond Haynes, Vivian Richards, and Larry Gomes.

Romantic relics have memorised that scorecard, where India's triumph came, courtesy of the medium pacers' outstanding and collective efforts.