“I Switch Off The TV When…”: Jasprit Bumrah’s Take On New York’s Bowling Friendly Pitches

Jasprit Bumrah in action© AFP

Following his side’s six run win over Pakistan in their ICC T20 World Cup clash, Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah opened up on his admiration for bowling that he has had since childhood and how run-fests do not really excite him. Jasprit Bumrah’s miserly three-wicket haul which applied pressure on Pakistan batters and a counter-attacking, match-saving knock by Rishabh Pant powered India to a narrow win at a packed Nassau County Stadium which keeps India’s World Cup dreams alive with two more group stage games to go.

Following the match, Bumrah in the post-match press conference expressed happiness with the appreciation that the bowlers got for their win, pointing out that India is a “batsman-loving country” and the recent edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was also a batter friendly run-fest.

“We are very happy that we did not come here with that baggage (of IPL being batter friendly) and when we are getting help here, we were trying to use it. I have played a lot of cricket in my young years.- when the bat and ball challenge is good it is more interesting to watch the match. When it is bat vs bat, I switch off the TV. I have been a fan of bowling since childhood. When there is a challenge between bat and ball, that is the game I like. No complaints. I am very happy,” he added.

Speaking about the victory, Bumrah said that it was important not to get too desperate about bowling a “magic ball” rather it was vital to control the run flow and also look for wickets in a balanced way. India was looking to be accurate in conditions when the seam and swing had reduced and wanted to utilise large boundaries to their advantage, added Bumrah.

“Even when there is help, you can be desperate, and you can try to go fuller and try to pull that magic delivery. I tried not to do that but when we came, the swing and seam had reduced. So, we had to be accurate because if we go for magic deliveries and try to be too desperate, run-making becomes easy and they know the target. So, we had to be very mindful of not overdoing it and yes add up the pressure, use the big boundaries, try to use things to our advantage. That is what we were doing. So, in that we created pressure and everybody got wickets,” said Bumrah.

Opening up on struggling from injuries last year to have made a comeback and delivering incredible performances in the 50-over World Cup, the Indian Premier League (IPL) and now this tournament, Bumrah said that he never focused on the outside noise about his injuries and future, but rather tried to stick to controlling the controllable and making life difficult for batters.

“I try to stay in the present and focus on what I have to do. Because if I look at the outside noise, if I look at people and pressure and emotion take over, then things do not really work for me. So, I was trying to do that, trying to create my own bubble, and trying to focus on that and try to put my best foot forward,” he added.

The Indian pace spearhead was appreciative of the support from a largely Indian and Asian crowd at the Nassau County Stadium which made players feel at home.

“A lot of emotion does come in and it did not feel like we are not playing in India because the support that we get, wherever we go, we get a lot of support and fans come in large numbers. So that does help with the energy part of the setup that we have. So yeah, very happy with the support and we were happy that we were able to give them a win as well,” he added.

Bumrah said that the team was disappointed by the total they put on and wanted some more runs, but were well aware of the fact that the chasing would be tricky on this tough surface. He pointed out that his third over, when he got the crucial wicket of Mohammed Rizwan, was the turning point of the game.

Coming to the match, Pakistan won the toss and put India to bat first. However, the Indian batters did not get things going for them at this tough surface as star openers Virat Kohli (4) and Rohit Sharma (13) failed to score big. Rishabh Pant (42 in 31 balls, with six fours) seemed to be playing on a different pitch and had useful partnerships with Axar Patel (20 in 18 balls, with two fours and a six) and Suryakumar Yadav (seven in eight balls, with a four). However, the lower middle order crumbled under the pressure of scoring runs on such a tough pitch and India could make just 119 in 19 overs.

Haris Rauf (3/21) and Naseem Shah (3/21) were the top bowlers for Pakistan. Mohammed Amir got two scalps while Shaheen Shah Afridi got one.

In the run-chase, Pakistan took a more measured approach and Mohammed Rizwan (31 in 44 balls, with a four and six) held one end steady. However, Bumrah (3/14) and Hardik Pandya (2/24) got crucial wickets of skipper Babar Azam (13), Fakhar Zaman (13), Shadab Khan (4), Iftikhar Ahmed (5) as well, which kept the pressure intact on Pakistan. With 18 runs needed in the final over, Naseem Shah (10*) tried to win it for Pakistan, however, Arshdeep Singh (1/31) made sure Pakistan fell short by six runs.

Bumrah secured the ‘Player of the Match’ for his match-winning spell.

After winning this thriller, India is at the top of Group A with two wins in two games and four points. Pakistan is in fourth place, having lost both their games to the USA and India. Their knockout stage chances look slim.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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