We were not just sitting in hotel and sleeping: Jasprit Bumrah lashes out at reporters
Nov 5, 2017 at 4:57 PM
India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah believes it was an uphill task to bowl with the new ball on a belter of a pitch in Rajkot after New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson decided to bat first on Saturday evening when India was leading the Twenty20 International series 1-0.
“This was a difficult wicket because when we were bowling with the new ball,” Bumrah told Cricbuzz.
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Alongside the team members, the death bowling specialist Bumrah didn’t opt out for practice on an optional day in Rajkot, who revealed Kiwis had a prolific start, as the pitch didn’t offer much to the bowlers particularly when India was bowling.
“It [ball] was coming onto the bat really well and they had a good start,” Bumrah added.
After India managed to score 156 for seven in 20 overs which subsequently handed a 40-run victory to the visitors, Bumrah seemed infuriated when a journalist soon after the game asked him about the skipping of an optional net session on the eve of a second T20I fixture.
“If we had won the match, the questions would have been different but it’s okay,” Bumrah asserted.
Bumrah, who has been praised by the former cricketers for delivering about his weight, featured in 29 T20Is in which he claimed 38 wickets at an exceptional average of 19.13, reiterated they’re sweating it out to yield desired results.
“We’ve been playing for a long period of time so we were having our recovery and training. We were not just sitting in the hotel and sleeping, we were training there as well,” Bumrah said.
Following the flat-bedded surface at Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium in Rajkot on Saturday evening, New Zealand openers registered a 105-run stand in the second Twenty20 International of the three-match series, in order to share the highest opening-wicket partnership in the subcontinent.
The 23-year-old Ahmedabad-born unorthodox bowler Bumrah revealed the Kiwis opener Colin Munro changed the complexion of the game after luck went his way adding the bowlers did their best with the white-ball.
According to Bumrah, the scenario of the match would have been different if things would have had gone in Men in Blue’s way.
“For us, it was that how much we can contribute. We were trying our best and [Colin] Munro was also going berserk and he was also a bit lucky as well because one or two catches here and things would have been different,” Bumrah further added.
The 30-year-old batsman Munro, who smashed his second T20 international hundred while flaying the hosts bowling line-up which further saw debutant Mohammed Siraj went for 53 in just four overs. However, the right-arm fast bowler claimed a wicket of Kiwi skipper Williamson, who has been his teammate of the Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Moreover, Burmah felt odd-days are not meant for the formidable team at times after he alongside bowling spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar tried to bowl according to the gameplan which didn’t work
“We were just trying to create pressure, so it’s ok it happens. Some days some of your plans don’t work,” Bumrah concluded.
The wily customer conceded 23 runs in his four overs but didn’t manage to claim a wicket, as New Zealand posted 196 for two in 20 overs.
In 28 ODIs, Bumrah bagged 52 wickets at an impressive average of 22.28 after making his debut against Australia at Sydney in January 2016.
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Earlier, the 38-year-old left-arm fast bowler Ashish Nehra, who represented India in the series opener on November one at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi bowled the last over of New Zealand innings which further saw him bowing out with a wicketless farewell game.