Bumrah holds key to India's chances but 'freak' Warner can do it for Aussies: Clarke

Jasprit Bumrah's amazing skill-set gives India a realistic chance of winning the World Cup but a "freak" called David Warner might just retain it for Australia, feels 2015 World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, former Aussie skipper Clarke explained why India and Australia are top three contenders while making it clear that the coveted Cup may not "come home" for the hosts contrary to what the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan are wishing.

One of the most delightful batsmen to have played the game, Clarke is in awe of the legend of Bumrah which has been on the upswing for two years now.

"I think there is nothing that he (Bumrah) doesn't have. He is fit and healthy. I hope he stays that way as he would play a big part in India's success in this World Cup," Clarke observed.

But Bumrah will face quite a challenge from Australia, especially Warner, who has already scored 447 runs in six games with two hundreds.

"I did expect an exceptional performance from David because he is an exceptional player. He is a freak. He is the X-factor in this team. If Australia go on to win the World Cup, David Warner will be the highest run-getter in my opinion," opined Clarke and then went on to separately analyse what made the two individuals special.

Questioned as to what makes Bumrah such a difficult proposition for batsmen, Clarke elaborated, "With the brand new ball, he can swing and seam it. When the ball is doing nothing in the middle overs, he has the extra pace to trouble batsmen."
Would Bumrah been as good as Wasim Akram had there been just one new ball instead of two?
"David has probably played a little bit differently to what everybody expected at the start of the World Cup. But he has played smart. He has batted for a period of time. Remember before he got back into ODI cricket, he was back in T20 cricket after a 12-month lay-off."
"I think he is continuously getting better. He has been exceptional with the bat. It always takes away a bit of pressure from leadership when you are scoring runs. He has used his bowlers well."