'Leave him, he knows what to do' - Ishant Sharma reveals an incident when he stopped Virat Kohli to have chat with Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah has quickly become one of the best bowlers in the world and the spearhead of team India’s bowling attack. Bumrah had a breakout year in 2018, cementing himself as one of the most fearsome bowlers in Test cricket. The 29-year-old made his Test debut against South Africa that year.

Bumrah was in excellent form, but there was a spell during India’s tour of Australia in 2018–19 when Virat Kohli was left upset due to the right-arm fast bowler’s mediocre spell. As a result, skipper Kohli wanted to speak with Bumrah about his performance.

While Bumrah has become the spearhead of the Indian bowling attack now, there was a time when Ishant Sharma was team India's biggest asset, and the veteran pacer carries a vast amount of experience with him as well.

Ishant Sharma recently talked about that incident. In a chat with Cricbuzz, he talked about stopping Kohli from having a chat with Bumrah after his spell. The 34-year-old advised Kohli to leave Bumrah alone, as he knew what he needed to do.

He understands the game, and he understands the situation: Ishant Sharma on Jasprit Bumrah

Talking about the incident Ishant said, "I knew a day would come when Bumrah would become a leader. I remember in 2018, when we were playing a Test match in Australia, and his first spell did not go well. Virat told me, 'I think I should go and speak to him'. I said, ' He is a very smart bowler. He understands it. Usko chhor de. Usko pata hai kya karna, kya nehi karna (Leave him alone. He knows what he needs to do). In that way, he is very smart. He understands the game, and he understands the situation.' When you understand the situation, especially in Test cricket, you can make a comeback very quickly."

Following that moment, Bumrah ended the series as the best bowler with 21 wickets and even a five-wicket haul as team India scripted a historic Test series victory Down Under.