When Nathan McSweeney made his debut for his country and faced the deadly Jasprit Bumrah in the Border-Gavaskar series 2024–25, he appeared to be in serious trouble. After opening for the Australians in the first three games and scoring just 72 runs at an average of 14.40, the right-handed batter was benched for the rest of the series. In six innings, Bumrah got rid of him four times.
Bumrah is a terrific bowler, according to Nathan McSweeney, who also said that he consistently and skillfully keeps batters troubled by throwing the ball in places they dislike.
“Yes, to say that it’s hard work would be an understatement. He bowls really well. I suppose I was foolish going into it because I had never met him before and assumed he would be alright. On the Willow Talk Podcast, McSweeney stated, “But he’s an amazing bowler who has great skill but just relentless ability to pitch the ball in the area where you don’t want as a batter.”
Since none of the Australian batsmen in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy had much success against India’s Test vice-captain, McSweeney noted that while Bumrah was a tough opponent, it also offered him some hope.
“It was a really difficult task, but it also gave me hope that nobody was playing him easily and that everyone was attempting to tackle him at the same time, which gave me a little confidence,” he continued.
Jasprit Bumrah will make a comeback in the 2025 IPL.
Since the final Test match against Australia in Sydney, Bumrah has been out due to a back ailment. Even though he missed the first few games, the right-arm seamer is reportedly improving steadily and will be ready to play for the Mumbai Indians in the 2025 Indian Premier League.
On Sunday, March 23, Mumbai will travel to Chennai to play the Chennai Super Kings, their bitter rivals, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.