Cricket fans accuse Indian skipper of ILLEGAL act that destroyed the Australian batting order

Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah has been sensationally accused of punching after tearing through the Australian top order in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series.

The Aussies were left in tatters at 8-70 early on the second day of the Perth Test, largely due to Bumrah’s five-wicket haul, and tore through the top order at Optus Stadium.

Now Australian cricket fans have called for an investigation into the fast bowler’s action after he produced a devastating swing in both directions following a short run-off.

Australian middle-order batsman Travis Head first raised the debate during an interview ahead of the first Test.

“In five years, no one will remember Bumrah. He will be remembered as the man who carried out illegal bowling activities,” he said.

Head was not one of Bumrah’s victims, bowled by Harshit Rana.

Australian batting champion Steve Smith fell to a first-ball duck for Bumrah during a devastating spell of bowling

But Usman Khawaja (8), debutant Nathan McSweeney (10), Steve Smith (golden duck), Alex Carey (21) and skipper Pat Cummins (3) all fell prey to his devastating bowling.

While many credited Bumrah for unplayable deliveries and quality bowling for destroying the Australian top order, others accused him of bending his arm and throwing the ball away to achieve colossal amounts of swing.

“I think he’s throwing it away. I’ve always done that. With his run-up it would be almost impossible to keep up the pace he does without dropping it, and his arm is nowhere near straight,” one person said.

“He’s definitely throwing it away. “I watched several slow motion footage this morning and it looked like an old fashioned bowler,” another added.

“If Jasprit Bumrah was from another country, his bowling action would have been suspended by the ICC by now,” another fumed.

Others suggested that while he may not have broken any cricket laws, he was pushing them to the limit.

‘Because just as Jasprit Bumrah bowled yesterday, there remains an elephant in the room: his action is still very suspect. As with any rule there is always a certain amount of tolerance, but he should crack down on that,” one person wrote.

While others said it was just sour grapes from Australian cricket fans who were devastated to see their batsmen humiliated on home soil.

Australian cricket fans have accused the Indian skipper of an illegal move that led to the flood of wickets in the first Test

“Those who think Bumrah Chucks should stop watching cricket clearly don’t understand biomechanics or bowling actions,” a cricket fan added.

Former Australian opener David Warner gave some insight into why the Indian skipper is so difficult to face.

“Bumrah’s main challenge is getting used to his action. If you haven’t met him before, it can be quite a challenge,” Warner said.

‘You have to try to get used to stuttering in the crease. And then he unleashes a few bolts of lightning. He always hits line and length. Can swing them both ways.

“I think the great thing about him is that he has two different gears. He can throw it up when the ball is new, and then it can go the other way.”

Former England international and renowned bowling coach Ian Pont previously defended Bumrah’s action in 2022, saying it looked awkward due to his hypermobility in the elbow joint.

“You can see his arm straight from wrist to elbow. The rule is that when the elbow is above vertical, it should not bend more than 15 degrees,” he said.

‘You can clearly see the forward flexion in his arm, a hyperextension. This is allowed (a forward bend) for people with hypermobile joints.

‘A hyperextension is a movement in the same direction as the direction of movement – ​​not down or to the side. This is why Bumrah’s action is classified as legal as it falls within the guidelines of hypermobility.”

Paul Felton, Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics at Nottingham Trent University, has worked with numerous cricket coaches and further explained how hypermobility was an advantage, but a legal one.

“His hypermobility also provides further benefits in that he can maintain alignment throughout his bowling action, which reduces variability in his control over line and length,” he said.

‘His hypermobility makes him unique. That he can maximize speed by using more optimal movement patterns, which increases control and reduces the risk of injury.’