Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are already in the galaxy of the finest fast bowling duos in history

The old axiom of cricket is that fast bowlers hunt in pairs, and it often leads to the success of their teams. The early quick bowling duos in the 1920s and 1930s were the Australians Jack Gregory and Ted McDonald, part of Warwick Armstrong’s famous team; and the West Indians Learie Constantine and Manny Martindale.

Cricket fans are aware of the great pace twosomes of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller; Fred Trueman and Brian Statham; and Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith.

The 1970s brought a veritable pace revolution, bringing in its wake the likes of Pollock and Procter; Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson; Imran and Sarfraz; Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft, and Joel Garner.

Soon the West Indies fearsome foursome took shape with Malcolm Marshall joining the pack.

Mohammed Shami has been a consistent performer for India for nearly a decade

More fast bowling pairs emerged in the 1980s and 1990s. Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose; Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis; Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee; Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock, among others wreaked havoc.

In contemporary cricket, we see James Anderson and Stuart Broad; Tim Southee and Trent Boult; Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, swinging and seaming, bouncing and yorking, finding the edges of bats and bottom of stumps, batsmen ducking and jumping.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There have been other pairs doing considerable damage to batsmen’s averages and limbs.

It can now be safely said that India’s Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah have joined this galaxy. Shami is the more classical of the two, running in rhythmically with short steps, pitching it fuller and swinging the ball both ways.

His deliveries are apt to skid on to the batsman, and he can unleash an effective bouncer as well.

Bumrah is unorthodox and awkward. A shorter run-up, the left arm going off diagonally and the right arm coming down swiftly, banging the ball down hard or letting go of a searing yorker. At times delivering a huge in-dipper resembling a boomerang, at other times, leaving the batsman late, to complete his repertoire.

It is almost as if he is playing a game of darts, aiming for the bull’s eye with each delivery, and at 90 miles per hour.

Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah have together picked up over 700 wickets in international cricket

The two Indian bowlers carry a heavy load in the present-day scenario with its three formats. There is the issue of quickly adjusting to the different forms as well. Mohammed Shami has played fewer T20 Internationals, while Jasprit Bumrah is widely spoken of as the best all-format bowler, a view that Sachin Tendulkar endorsed recently.

Shami has already passed the 200-wickets mark in his 60 Tests, with 216 scalps to his name at an average of 27.45. His 81 one-day internationals have yielded 152 wickets at 25.47 apiece at an economy-rate of 5.60. In 17 T20Is, he has picked up 18 wickets at 31.55 each with an economy-rate of 9.54.

Younger by three years, at 28, Bumrah has taken 128 wickets in 30 Tests, averaging an outstanding 21.99. In 72 ODIs, he has a haul of 121 wickets at 24.30 each and an economy-rate of 4.63. He has 69 victims in 58 T20Is, averaging 19.46 and conceding just 6.46 runs an over.

Jasprit Bumrah is regarded by many as the best bowler across formats

These are outstanding figures judged by any yardstick. Bumrah is well on his way to becoming an all-time great fast bowler.

In today’s comprehensive fitness regime, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah should be able to play for several more years. James Anderson is showing no signs of slowing down just a few days short of 40, and there is no reason why the Indian duo cannot emulate his example, setting new benchmarks on the way.

The one accomplishment that has eluded both is a 10-wicket haul in a Test by just one scalp each so far.

India has never had such an array of pace bowlers at any time, with several youngsters on the horizon. However, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah have stood tall among them, their places in the side unchallenged.

They complement each other and are quick to pass on advice, thereby constantly improving on their performances. Doubtlessly, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah will go down in history as one of the finest pairs of fast bowlers.