“Celebrate Siraj, but leave Bumrah alone” - Ravi Ashwin urges fans not to pull Jasprit Bumrah down

Former Indian off-spinner Ravi Ashwin has heaped praises on the Indian seamer Mohammed Siraj, and at the same time, he urged the Indian fans not to pull the Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah down, as he belongs to another level.

Ashwin, on his YouTube channel, stated that Bumrah and Siraj shouldn’t be kept in the same line. Bumrah, who is known for control and wicket-taking lengths, scalped two five-wicket hauls in the three Tests he played on the England tour.

"When we praise a cricketer, we also tend to pull someone else down. I don't understand why we do that because in this game, we have understood that Jasprit Bumrah belongs to another level. He has done a lot for India. But considering Bumrah's physical limitations, please don't speak about him and Siraj in the same line. Celebrate Siraj, but leave Bumrah alone. He took two five-wicket hauls in this series. Siraj and Bumrah are not the same. Bumrah offers control, bowls wicket-taking balls and keeps the match in control,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash Ki Baat’ on his YouTube channel.

Furthermore, Ashwin hailed Siraj, who played the series as a leader of the pace attack, scalping 23 wickets from five Tests to lead the wickets column on the England tour. Moreover, Ashwin noted that both Siraj and Bumrah are at different points in their careers.

"Why are we praising Siraj so much now because when others feel tired, he still runs in. He gives runs, but when things are not going the team's way, he finds a way to get a breakthrough for the captain. That's the most special thing about Siraj. He's played the Test series as a leader; this is Siraj's breaking point. This is probably the defining point of his career. Both are at different points in their careers, so don't speak about them in the same sentence,” he added.

Also, Ashwin was a bit disappointed not to see Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI on the England tour, stating that the attacking spinner could’ve changed the scoreline in India’s favour. Notably, India concluded the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2.

"I was a bit disappointed that we couldn't see Kuldeep Yadav play in any of the five Tests. Earlier, I felt Kuldeep could be the answer for India to be able to win a Test series in England," he concluded.

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