Faf du Plessis has lavished praise on Jasprit Bumrah, calling him a “superpower that every captain will dream of”, after the quick produced another sensational spell to help India overcome England in a high-scoring semi-final of the T20 World Cup in Mumbai.

“Team India don’t understand how lucky they are to have him [Bumrah] in their ranks,” du Plessis said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “It is just proven time and time and time again, regardless of the format, you just give him the ball and he wins you games. It’s a superpower that any captain will dream of; it’s like having a genie, you just rub the lamp and out comes Bumrah.”

In a 253 vs 247 game, Bumrah was the difference as he picked up a wicket and went at just 8.25 runs an over where the overall scoring rate was well over 12. Bumrah bowled overs five, 11, 16 and 18 in England’s chase, and was spot on with most of his deliveries. And even when he wasn’t able to execute his yorkers, he did enough for the England batters to be content just playing him out despite the required rate soaring.

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Du Plessis said that while Bumrah’s execution required a lot of practice and skill, it was about his action as well.

“That last over [18th of the innings], they know it is going to be full, yorker or slower ball. That’s generally what you will be getting. And he bowled two low full tosses in the over and both of those balls, Sam Curran was late on the ball,” du Plessis said. “Any other bowler missing in length like that goes for six. [Shivam] Dube bowled that in the last over and he gets pumped for six.

“His [Bumrah’s] action is so unique that you struggle to pick up how quickly the ball comes out of his wrist. It’s a skill but it is also to do with the mystery of his action, almost like what [Lasith] Malinga did back in the day. The point of difference makes it really hard to line him up in terms of if he misses.”

Du Plessis also spoke highly of Suryakumar Yadav‘s “spot-on captaincy” when it came to using Bumrah. The last over was particularly clinical. With England requiring 45 off three overs but Jacob Bethell running hot, Bumrah bowled a series of yorkers, going for just six to all but seal the deal.

“He has got value all over the innings when he bowls but the real superpower is the back-end when the game is on the line,” du Plessis said. “And I thought today they used him perfectly; good captaincy, good leadership. When the game was about getting him into the mix and bring the run rate down and try and get wickets, they used him at the perfect overs. It is easy on the side, thinking no pressure and I was like: spot-on captaincy.”

Hardik Pandya ‘has taken his bowling up a notch’

Hardik Pandya‘s “big-match temperament” was another factor that went in India’s favour, du Plessis said, after Hardik delivered for India with both bat and ball at crucial stages again.

Hardik first provided India with the finishing touches, recording a 12-ball 27 that hauled them over 250, and was nerveless with the ball. He picked up the crucial wicket of Phil Salt with his first ball and, with the game on the line, bowled a superb 19th over, also accounting for Curran.

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T20 World Cup – Du Plessis: Pandya’s big-match temperament worth as much as skill

Faf du Plessis and Anil Kumble on Hardik Pandya’s contribution to India’s win

“It’s just big-match temperament and that for me, is worth as much as the skill,” du Plessis said. “It is a character trait you are looking for. Even when you are picking players, you sometimes pick character before talent and skill because you see it and then you know this guy is made for the big stage.

“So, when you talk about guys getting picked… Bethell would be an example, getting picked earlier in his career. Yes, he has got talent, but it is like ‘how does this guy stand up to big moments’ and some coaches pick it up early. They might not always be the most talented, but they go, ‘this guy has got grit, he has got BMT [big-match temperament]’.”

Former India captain, Anil Kumble felt that Hardik has taken his “bowling up a notch” and that he was outstanding in his four-over spell where he went for 38 and picked up two wickets.

“In terms of skill, we saw that against [Jos] Buttler with the new ball,” Kumble said. “He was taking the ball away, he was bringing the ball back in, he hits the deck, he is bowling at a good pace. So, yes, he certainly has taken his bowling to a notch and once again, the temperament that he showed [was great].”