India, July 10 -- 'Dekhna kal, rocket chodunga'.

Ravi Shastri is the badshah of bombast, but these four words were uttered in private, without ceremony, to a friend in Cape Town. It was the night of 4 January 2018; despite his pal's prodding, India's then-head coach wouldn't say anything more than 'look out for the rocket'.

This was no pint-sized rocket. He stood 1.78 metres tall, a veritable package of explosive speed and unmatched skill. Until then, he was viewed as a white-ball specialist. That perception changed on January 5, when Jasprit Bumrah became India's 290th Test cricketer.

Shastri and Virat Kohli had assiduously resisted the temptation to unleash Bumrah in the five-day format before then. 2018 was going to be a big year fo...