Jasprit Bumrah

Mahela Jayawardene, Tilak Varma
Mahela Jayawardene, Tilak Varma
//

Mahela Jayawardene Feels Tilak Varma Is The Standout Player In IPL 2022 For Mumbai Indians

Published on

Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai Indians head coach heaped praise on young player Tilak Varma for his batting performances in the ongoing IPL 2022 edition. The former Sri Lankan skipper believes Tilak Varma has adapted well to different roles and the demands of the franchise’s difficult situation.

Right-handed batter Tilak Varma is currently the highest run-getter for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2022. The southpaw has scored 376 runs in 11 matches at an average of 37.60, striking at 131.46 with two fifties. His best of 61 came against the Rajasthan Royals at D.Y. Patil Stadium.

Tilak Varma
Tilak Varma (Image: Twitter)

Mahela Jayawardene Feels Tilak Varma Is The Standout Player For Mumbai Indians

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s game, Mahela Jayawardene believes Tilak Varma has been the standout player for them, hailing him for responding well to the challenges of the bowling and conditions.

The 44-year old said: “Yeah, I think if you pick on individuals I think Tilak is the standout, scoring almost 400 runs. He’d been asked to do few different roles for us this year, batting at three, batting at four, even at five, and finished a game recently. I think the process for him, he’s been challenging himself in different situations against good bowling units. He’s responded well and shown lots of good qualities along the way.”

Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene (Photo| Mumbai Indians website)
Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene (Photo| Mumbai Indians website)

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old’s knock against the Rajasthan Royals came in a losing cause as the five-time champions fell 23 runs short of the target. Chasing 194, Tilak Varma’s presence kept them afloat; however, his wicket turned the tables on the Mumbai Indians.

Mahela Jayawardene Is Happy With The Way Youngsters Reacted To Situations And Feels They’ve Learnt A Lot

Mahela Jayawardene also believes that the youngsters performing well have justified their selections. The Sri Lankan legend feels exceeding their expectations in such a competitive tournament gives the upcoming players plenty of options for the future.

“At the auction, we made a conscious effort of bringing in youngsters into the squad and we knew that they are talented and exciting prospects. During the season, we had the opportunity to give them games, sometimes in the season where we haven’t been able to. Through that, they have put their hands up and performed.”

Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians (Image Credit: Twitter)

He continued: “It’s great for us to see how they handle pressure, how they are in the middle, especially in IPL cricket it’s not easy. So, overall very happy with the way those young guys have reacted to those situations. They’ve learnt a lot and we’ve learnt a lot about them. As a franchise, moving forward, it gives us a lot of options in how we need to rebuild the team.”

Mumbai Indians, who are out of the playoffs race, will face the Delhi Capitals in their final match on Saturday, May 21.  In the earlier encounter between both teams, DC won the match. Tilak Varma has been the find of the season for MI, playing at different positions in the batting order but racking up runs on a consistent basis.

Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene was brutally honest in his assessment after their early exit from the IPL, saying they failed to take control of crucial moments and did not play good cricket. Mumbai is likely to end up last on the points table even if they manage to win their last game against Delhi Capitals on Saturday.

Arjun Tendulkar could finally get a game as MI face DC in their last league game of the season at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Mumbai Indians should now look at resting some of their key players, including captain Rohit Sharma, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, and keeper Ishan Kishan and give younger players a chance in their place considering they are out of the race for the playoffs. Sidelined for illness recently, DC’s in-form opening batter Prithvi Shaw is expected to be fine for the game against MI.

You might be interested in

Priyank Panchal. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Priyank Panchal. (Photo Source: Twitter)
//

Priyank Panchal Likely To Join Gujarat Titans As A Backup Player

Published on

Priyank Panchal, Gujarat captain is likely to join Indian Premier League (IPL) debutants Gujarat Titans as a backup player soon, a reliable source said on Saturday. The Ahmedabad-based franchise will begin their maiden IPL 2022 campaign with a clash against fellow debutants Lucknow Super Giants at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on 28th March. The past few months have been quite eventful for the right-handed opener.

After leading India A in two of the three unofficial Tests against South Africa A in South Africa late last year, Priyank Panchal was named as a replacement for Rohit Sharma, who was ruled out of the three-match Test series in the Rainbow Nation due to a hamstring injury.

Priyank Panchal has been a heavy scorer for Gujarat and India A. (Priyank Panchal/Instagram)
Priyank Panchal has been a heavy scorer for Gujarat and India A. (Priyank Panchal/Instagram)

Priyank Panchal Learnt A Lot From The Experience Of Sharing Dressing Room With Indian Team

Despite not getting a game, he “learnt a lot” from the experience of sharing the Indian dressing room with the likes of former captain Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Jasprit Bumrah.

In an exclusive chat in February, Priyank Panchal said: “Talking about the Indian Test team, I’ve learnt a lot from the experience because it was a bit different from the India A experience. But I would say that the quality of cricket [between India A and India] is not very different because we face almost the same bowlers. I hope to get my Test cap soon.”

Though yet to receive his maiden Test cap, opener Priyank Panchal also featured in India’s 18-member Test squad for the recently concluded home series against Sri Lanka, which the hosts won 2-0. In addition, he scored a first-innings fifty (52 off 63 deliveries) in Gujarat’s Ranji Trophy 2021-22 campaign opener against Madhya Pradesh in Rajkot last month. It was his only Ranji Trophy match this season.

Gujarat's captain Priyank Panchal celebrates his century during a Ranji Trophy cricket match against Mumbai.(PTI)
Gujarat’s captain Priyank Panchal celebrates his century during a Ranji Trophy cricket match against Mumbai. (PTI)

Notwithstanding his success in first-class cricket, Priyank Panchal’s limited-overs performances have gone largely unnoticed. The 31-year-old missed out on an IPL contract at last month’s mega auction in Bengaluru despite stacking up healthy numbers in T20 cricket. In the latest edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Priyank Panchal scored 188 runs in five innings at a strike-rate of 135.25.

Priyank Panchal Reckons His Limited Overs Batting Has Improved A Lot Over Past 2-3 Years

Pigeonholed as a “red-ball specialist” until a few years ago, Priyank Panchal has broken the stereotype with a revamped batting approach that hinges on power-hitting and newfound confidence. Priyank Panchal elaborated on what he has done differently to achieve white-ball success.

He said: “My limited-overs batting has improved a lot over the past two to three years, and the stats prove that. I got the results in last year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. I was amazed to see that I was able to score runs at a good strike-rate in T20 cricket.”

Hardik Pandya at GT jersey launch. Photo- Twitter
Hardik Pandya at GT jersey launch. Photo- Twitter

Priyank Panchal also thanked former Indian wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel for infusing confidence in him.

When asked what it would mean for him to be picked by Gujarat Titans at the auction, Panchal said:  “I would love to play for any of the ten franchises, but being picked by the Gujarat franchise will be the cherry on top.”

The IPL is a platform where dreams come true. Under Ashish Nehra’s tutelage and Hardik Pandya’s leadership at Gujarat Titans, Priyank Panchal will look to make the most of his maiden IPL sojourn.

With a First-Class experience of 100 matches, Priyank Panchal has scored over 7000 runs including 24 centuries and 25 fifties, including a best of 314 not out, which he amassed against Punjab in a breakout 2016-17 season. Gujarat Titans had also roped in Indian opening batter Shubman Gill and Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan in its initial draft signings.

You might be interested in

Jofra Archer.(Photo By Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jofra Archer.(Photo By Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
//

Jofra Archer Clarifies He Will Be Available From IPL 2023

Published on

Jofra Archer was roped in for INR 8 crore on the second day of the IPL 2022 mega auction in Bengaluru. Ever since the mega auction last month, the biggest question for Mumbai Indians’ fans has been over the availability of England pace sensation Jofra Archer for the impending 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the 26-year-old broke his silence during his recent interview with the franchise.

Fans and analysts of the game were left excited over the bowling combination of two white-ball stalwarts -England’s Jofra Archer and India’s unorthodox pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah
Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Jofra Archer Clarifies He Will Play IPL From 2023 Season But Confirmed He Has Progressed Faster Than Thought

However, in a recent interview with the franchise, Jofra Archer clarified that he would only be able to join the franchise for the 16th season as he continues to recover from his elbow injury.

“As it stands, it was always going to be next year. But I think I have progressed a bit faster than we all thought we would have which is still good but it’s still gonna be next year. I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up too high. I don’t want to disappoint anyone. So I’m going to say next year,” he said.

“I am really excited to get started with MI – it is a great franchise. Mahela Jayawardene was one of my first coaches, we have the likes of Polly (Pollard) – I have played a few games against him, this is probably the first time I will play with him. I am hoping to start winning games and trophies soon,” Archer told Mumbai Indians’ social media handles.

Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians (Image Credit: Twitter)

“MI looks very close-knit and family-oriented and such teams always do well. That’s why it is no surprise that we have won five titles. Polly’s been there 10 years, Malinga was there a long time, the same with Rohit too. These things make you feel safe when you come into the team as a new player,” Jofra explained.

“The change of environment is good because you then get to challenge yourself. It is all right to perform in your comfort zone but when you actually go away and start performing in a different team, in a different setting, only then can you probably start rating yourself,” felt Jofra.

“I think you need to be calm as a fast bowler because you have to know when to step it up and when to tone it down. Being calm allows me to just make better decisions. Bowling also doesn’t really change much according to conditions, you just have to know when and where to use your variations,” he said.

Jofra Archer has been out of action for almost a year now. He was slated for a comeback in the West Indies Test series but had to go under the knife for the second time in December last year for his recurring stress fracture in his elbow. Jofra Archer will miss IPL 2022 due to his elbow injury.

Ishan Kishan (Rs 15.25 crore), Tim David (Rs 8.25 crore), Jofra Archer (Rs 8 crore), Dewald Brevis (Rs 3 crore), Daniel Sams (Rs 2.6 crore),  Tymal Mills (Rs 1.5 crore), Jaydev Unadkat (Rs 1.3 crore), Riley Meredith (Rs 1 crore), Fabian Allen (Rs 75 lakh) were some of Mumbai Indian’s buys at IPL 2022 auctions.

Hemang Amin, IPL CEO Had Informed Jofra Archer’s Unavailability During IPL 2022

Jofra Archer’s non-participation in IPL 2022 and availability for the 2023 and 2024 season was earlier revealed by IPL chief operating officer Hemang Amin ahead of the auction.

“The ECB has registered Jofra Archer for the auction with a view to potential participation in 2023 and 2024, as due to his current injury it is unlikely that he can participate in IPL 2022,” Amin had informed the franchises ahead of the auction.

Hemang Amin Image Courtsey : Twitter
Hemang Amin Image Courtesy: Twitter

“Therefore, his name has been included in the auction list, but he won’t feature in the marquee or other sets to be presented.

“He will be available to be called during the accelerated auction and whoever picks him will not get a replacement player for IPL 2022 season for his place as he is already injured and unlikely to participate in IPL 2022 season.”

Jofra Archer has picked up 46 wickets in 35 IPL games so far at an average of 21.3 and has an impressive economy rate of 7.13 despite bowling the tough overs.

Mumbai Indians will be the second team Jofra Archer will play for in the IPL after Rajasthan Royals, where he played for three seasons.

You might be interested in

Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja- ICC
Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja- ICC
/

Rohit Sharma Hailed ‘Complete Package’ Ravindra Jadeja For Outstanding Show

Published on

Rohit Sharma lauded India’s show in the recently-concluded Test series against Sri Lanka and one player (Ravindra Jadeja) in particular, whose contribution has made a huge difference in the balance of this unit.

With the tourists chasing a daunting target of 447 for victory after India declared on 303/9, their skipper Dimuth Karunaratne battled hard to bring up his 14th Test ton (107) but wickets fell regularly and they were bowled out for 208.

India secured a 2-0 clean sweep over Sri Lanka with a resounding 238-run win inside three days in the day/night Test in Bengaluru. On a surface where Sri Lanka struggled, Dimuth Karunaratne scored a masterful century, one that could well go down as one of the best hundreds scored by a visiting batter in India.

However, it was not enough as Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin combined to take eight seven wickets to floor the hosts.

Dimuth Karunaratne AFP
Dimuth Karunaratne AFP

Rohit Sharma: ‘Complete Package’ Ravindra Jadeja Seems To Get Better And Is Improving As Batter And Bowler

With the win, Rohit Sharma has extended his winning streak as India captain to 11 matches. Since taking over India’s captaincy full-time Rohit Sharma is yet to lose a game and even though the road ahead will be more challenging with stronger teams lined up, India would be happy to have climbed up to the fourth position in the World Test Championship points table.

India maintained a win percentage of 93.7 across formats in the 2021-22 home season. Only one team had a better win percentage in an International home season (minimum 15 matches). Australia had a 100 per cent win record in the 2000-01 home season, winning all 15 matches they played.

Skipper Rohit Sharma led India to their 15th consecutive series victory at home since losing to England in December 2012.

“It’s been a good run, and I have enjoyed it personally and as a team. We wanted to achieve a few things as a team, and we have done that. We have seen Ravindra Jadeja grow as a batter, and he seems to get better and better. He strengthens the team, and he’s also improving as a bowler. And he’s a gun fielder, so he is a complete package,” Rohit said during the post-match presentation ceremony.

Ravindra Jadeja (Image Credit: Twitter)
Ravindra Jadeja (Image Credit: Twitter)

Ravindra Jadeja returned with a bang from injury in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. In the first Test at Mohali, Ravindra Jadeja finished with a match haul of nine wickets – including a five-for in the first innings – and scored a career-best 175.  In the second, he remained slightly low profile scoring 4 and 22 and grabbing one wicket.

Ravindra Jadeja was out of action since November last year after suffering an injury in the Test match against New Zealand in Kanpur and as a result, was ruled out of the Proteas tour.

Rohit Sharma Reckons Pink Ball Tests Are Challenging

As for the pink ball, this was India’s third day-night Test at home and the Men in Blue have remained unbeaten. Having said that Rohit Sharma admitted that the team is still new to it and are learning something new every day playing the pink-ball Test.

“Pink-ball Tests are challenging. We never knew what it was like to play with the pink ball in India, but we are learning to make those adjustments. The crowd just makes it more special,” added the India captain.

Virat Kohli with Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli with Rohit Sharma IMAGE: AFP

The Indian team had played their first Pink ball test match against Bangladesh in Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Virat Kohli had made a brilliant century and became the first Indian batsman to hit a hundred in a Pink ball test cricket. The Indian team had played their 2nd Day-Night Test against Australia in Adelaide.

India lost their second Pink ball test match against Australia. India played their 3rd Day and Night test match against England in Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, and won it in just 2 days before winning their 4th D/N Test against Sri Lanka.

You might be interested in

Jasprit Bumrah (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)
Jasprit Bumrah (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)
/

IND vs SL 2022: Aakash Chopra Effusive In His Praise For Jasprit Bumrah

Published on

Aakash Chopra has showered huge praise on Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for his scintillating performance with the ball in the pink-ball Test against Sri Lanka.

Jasprit Bumrah scalped eight wickets across Sri Lanka’s two innings of the Bengaluru Test, which included a maiden five-wicket haul at home. The unconventional pacer seemed almost unplayable whenever he was handed the ball.

Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Aakash Chopra: Jasprit Bumrah Is A Game Changer And Showstopper

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra was effusive in his praise for pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

He said: “Jasprit Bumrah – he doesn’t play at home, he plays very few matches at home but when he plays the pink-ball Test match, this guy is different. He makes things happen when nothing was happening. He is a game-changer, he is a showstopper.”

Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (AP Photos)
Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (AP Photos)

The former India opener pointed out that Jasprit Bumrah has drawn fans’ attention to pace bowling in a batting-mad country and praised him for displaying all types of bowling skills.

Aakash Chopra elaborated: “He bowls at a speed of 140 kph, inswinger, outswinger, bouncer, yorker, slower one – I mean he is a complete bowler. We are generally a batting country, we admire batters a lot but he makes it exciting for people wanting to see fast-bowling skills. He brings in anticipation about what he is going to do.”

Team India have been generally known for their batting might and rarely for their seam bowling. However, the emergence of the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami has given a huge fillip to the pace department.

Jasprit Bumrah has so far picked 123 wickets in 29 Test matches at an average of 21.73. Out of his 29 Tests, only 4 have come at home, and out of his 123 Test wickets, 109 have been away from home and 14 at home.

Aakash Chopra : Jasprit Bumrah Is The Best Bowler In The World Across All Formats

While lauding Jasprit Bumrah’s skills, Aakash Chopra added that the speedster will have to be properly managed.

He observed: “So many variations with that kind of control and that kind of speed, you don’t get that, he is that guy. It will be interesting how his workload is managed because you cannot play him all the matches, he is a national asset.”

Jasprit Bumrah AP Photo/Rui Vieira
Jasprit Bumrah AP Photo/Rui Vieira

The renowned commentator concluded by putting pacer Jasprit Bumrah on a high pedestal.

Aakash Chopra opined: “He is the best bowler in the world across all formats. You might say Mitchell Starc took wickets in Karachi, he has done that now, Jasprit Bumrah is doing that daily and regularly in ODIs, T20s and Tests.”

Jasprit Bumrah is certainly one of the premier bowlers in world cricket across formats at the moment. His ability to pick up wickets in all conditions makes him stand apart from the other bowlers.

Jasprit Bumrah bagged his 8th five-wicket haul in his 29th Test appearance for Team India. Jasprit Bumrah equalled Kapil Dev’s Test record as the Indian pacer has the joint-best tally of five-wicket hauls after playing 29 Test matches for Team India.

India defeated Sri Lanka by 238 runs in the 2nd Test match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to clinch the series 2-0. Jasprit Bumrah returned with figures of 3/23 in the 2nd innings after picking 5/24 in the 1st innings.

You might be interested in

Jofra Archer.(Photo By Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jofra Archer.(Photo By Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
//

Jofra Archer Gives Mumbai Indians Teammate Jasprit Bumrah A Special Mention

Published on

Jofra Archer was roped in for a special interaction by the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. England’s pace ace gave Indian speed merchant Jasprit Bumrah a special mention during the interview. Jasprit Bumrah equalled Kapil Dev’s record in the pink-ball Test match between India and Sri Lanka at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Jofra Archer, who will play for five-time champions Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL), was watching Jasprit Bumrah run riot in the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka during one of his latest interactions with the Mumbai Indians franchise.

Jofra Archer - GETTY IMAGES
Jofra Archer – GETTY IMAGES

Jofra Archer Praised Future Mumbai Indians Teammate Jasprit Bumrah After The Latter Bagged His 2nd Scalp In 2nd Test Against Sri Lanka

Mumbai Indians teased a special interaction with the franchise’s INR 8 crore signing ahead of the 15th season on Sunday. During the on-off interaction with the Mumbai Paltan, Jofra Archer was seen rallying behind pacer Jasprit Bumrah as the star had bagged his second wicket for Team India in the 2nd Test match at the time.
“Oh wow! Are you guys watching the cricket as well right now. Actually, Boom has got 2/10. The pink ball is swinging all over and yeah it’s doing everything,” Archer said in the video uploaded by the official Instagram handle of the Mumbai Indians on Sunday.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah (Image Credit: Twitter)
Jofra Archer’s teammate Jasprit Bumrah bagged his 8th five-wicket haul in his 29th Test appearance for Team India. Jasprit Bumrah equalled Kapil Dev’s Test record as the Indian pacer has the joint-best tally of five-wicket hauls after playing 29 Test matches for Team India.

India defeated Sri Lanka by 238 runs in the second Test match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to clinch the series 2-0. Jasprit Bumrah returned with figures of 3/23 in the 2nd innings after picking 5/24 in the 1st innings. Dimuth Karunaratne defied India for 173 balls. In constructing a fine 14th Test century but it went in vain.

Jofra Archer Is Expected To Join Forces With Jasprit Bumrah At Mumbai Indians In IPL 2023

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians had defeated one-time winners Rajasthan Royals (RR) to sign pacer Jofra Archer at the IPL 2022 mega auction of the cash-rich league. Though the pacer has joined the Mumbai Indians franchise, the England pacer is unlikely to make his MI debut in the 15th season of the cash-rich league.
Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah
Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Mumbai Indians had acquired the services of the 2019 World Cup winner despite his unavailability in the 2022 edition of the world’s richest league. Jofra Archer is expected to join forces with Jasprit Bumrah at Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023.
Interestingly, Jofra Archer was not part of the initial list of 1,214 players who had registered for the IPL auction but his name was added to the list, upon request from the franchises and in consultation with the player, when the final list of 590 was shared.
Jasprit Bumrah, who the Mumbai Indians franchise retained as the second player for INR 12 crore before IPL 2022, has never worn another shirt than the Mumbai Indians. In his 106-match career, he has picked 130 wickets at 23.04 with an economy rate of 7.42.
Ishan Kishan (Rs 15.25 crore), Tim David (Rs 8.25 crore), Jofra Archer (Rs 8 crore), Dewald Brevis (Rs 3 crore), Daniel Sams (Rs 2.6 crore),  Tymal Mills (Rs 1.5 crore), Jaydev Unadkat (Rs 1.3 crore), Riley Meredith (Rs 1 crore), Fabian Allen (Rs 75 lakh) were some of Mumbai Indian’s buys at IPL 2022 auctions.
India 252 (Iyer 92, Jayawickrama 3-81, Embuldeniya 3-94) and 303 for 9 declared (Iyer 67, Pant 50, Jayawickrama 4-78) beat Sri Lanka 109 (Mathews 43, Bumrah 5-24) and 208 (Karunaratne 107, Ashwin 4-55, Bumrah 2-23) by 238 runs

You might be interested in

India's Shreyas Iyer celebrates scoring fifty runs during the first day of the second cricket test match between India and Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, March 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India's Shreyas Iyer celebrates scoring fifty runs during the first day of the second cricket test match between India and Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, March 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
/

Shreyas Iyer’s Innings Of 92 Compared To Steve Smith’s 2017 Ton By Wasim Jaffer

Published on

Shreyas Iyer scored a magnificent 92 against Sri Lanka on the opening day of the pink-ball Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru that helped India finish with 252 on a tricky pitch. And following the knock, former India opener Wasim Jaffer compared Shreyas Iyer to two cricketing greats.

India got off to a poor start after opting to bat first on Saturday before Shreyas Iyer bailed out the hosts with his fiery 92 off 98 balls. Although he missed out on a well-deserved century, Shreyas Iyer drew huge appreciation from veteran cricketers for his extraordinary knock. He followed his 92 runs with 67 runs in the 2nd innings.

Shreyas Iyer. (Photo: BCCI)
Shreyas Iyer. (Photo: BCCI)

Shreyas Iyer’s Innings Reminds Wasim Jaffer Of Steve Smith’s Knock In Pune Test In 2017

When asked about which cricketer’s knock does Shreyas Iyer’s 92 resembles, Wasim Jaffer admitted that Steve Smith’s brilliant century in the Pune Test against India in 2017 comes closest although he explained that the Aussie played under tougher conditions.

“Even Rishabh Pant has played so many wonderful knocks in the recent past. So he is probably the closest one specially in this team. You can also go back to Steve Smith who scored that hundred in Pune.

“I mean this pitch is little bit better compared to Pune which was a bit more rigging pitch. But that knock does remind me of Iyer’s knock. I would be really happy had he got that hundred. But he played wonderfully,” said Jaffer.

Steve Smith (Image Credit: Twitter)
Steve Smith (Image Credit: Twitter)

The right-hander Steve Smith went on to score 109 in the second innings and to put the greatness of that knock in context, Indian batting couldn’t manage more than 107 in both of their innings as Australia scripted a famous 333-run-win in Pune Test.

Shreyas Iyer has played only 4 Tests but has amassed 388 runs averaging a respectable 55.43. He scored a ton on his debut against New Zealand. He averages 62 against Sri Lanka in this series accumulating 186 runs. Shreyas Iyer was on Monday voted the ICC ‘Men’s Player of the Month’ for February. He earned the award on the back of his brilliant white-ball exploits during the home series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka respectively last month.

He aggregated 204 runs without being dismissed across three innings against Sri Lanka in T20Is at a highly impressive strike rate of 174.36. He registered scores of 57*(28), 74*(44) and 73*(45) across three games.

Wasim Jaffer Likened Shreyas Iyer With VVS Laxman For Bailing Team Out Of Trouble By Playing With Tail-enders

The veteran batter also hailed Shreyas Iyer’s ability to bat with tail-end batters like former middle-order batsman VVS Laxman did back in his days.

“He is making a habit of playing with tail-enders and bailing the Indian team out which is a very good sign for a batter who plays at No.5 or 6. VVS used to do a lot of that. He is doing a very very fine job,” he said. 

VVS Laxman (Image Credit: Twitter)
VVS Laxman (Image Credit: Twitter)

Indian pacers, inspired by Jasprit Bumrah, who picked his maiden five-wicket haul in India, then bundled out Sri Lanka for 109, leaving India with a 143-run lead.

Batting in the second innings of the second India-Sri Lanka Test, Rishabh Pant smashed his fifty off just 28 deliveries, hitting seven fours and two sixes. On the back of Pant and Shreyas Iyer’s batting show, India put up an impressive 303/9 declared in their second innings, setting an unlikely target of 447 for the visitors.

Sri Lanka were 189/6 on Day 3 against India in the Pink-ball Test. Sri Lanka need another 258 runs to win while India are 4 wickets away from a 2-0 series victory. Dimuth Karunaratne is batting on an unbeaten 96 with tail-enders.

You might be interested in

Jasprit Bumrah (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)
Jasprit Bumrah (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)
/

Rishabh Pant Backed His Strengths Which Is A Positive Sign: Jasprit Bumrah

Published on

Rishabh Pant on Sunday broke the legendary Kapil Dev’s 40-year-old record of fastest Test fifty by an Indian on the second day of the Day/Night match against Sri Lanka.

Rishabh Pant backs his naturally aggressive style of batting and that is a positive sign for the Indian team, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah said on Sunday after the stumper’s fiery knock helped them set Sri Lanka a massive 400-plus target in the second Test.

Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant (Photo | PTI)

Rishabh Pant Backed His Strengths: Jasprit Bumrah

The dashing left-hander cruised to his fifty in 28 balls (7×4, 2×6) in the 42nd over of Indian second innings when he hit a Praveen Jayawickrama delivery through the extra cover boundary. India’s first World Cup-1983 winning skipper Kapil Dev had cracked a 30-ball half-century against Pakistan in the Karachi Test in 1982.

“Rishabh Pant surpasses Kapil Dev to score the fastest 50 by an Indian in Test cricket. Take a bow, Rishabh,” posted BCCI in its Twitter handle.

Rishabh Pant also set a world record for notching up the fastest fifty by a wicketkeeper-batter in Tests, bettering the efforts of Australia’s Ian Smith and former India captain MS Dhoni (both scored 34-ball fifty). Rishabh Pant, however, could not make it big and got out in the same score and over, giving Praveen Jayawickrama a return catch in the final delivery.

Kapil Dev lifting the 1983 World Cup | Reuters
Kapil Dev lifting the 1983 World Cup | Reuters

Shardul Thakur is the third in the list of fastest Test fifty by an Indian with his 31-ball half-century in the Oval Test against England coming last year. Former Indian swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag had scored a 32-ball 50 against England in Chennai in 2008.

“Not each and everyone (can) play in the same manner. Every individual has a different game-plan, so he has backed his strengths,” Bumrah said after day’s play.

Jasprit Bumrah said that Rishabh Pant is getting more and more experienced with each passing day.

“Not every player in the team will play with the same tempo, we understand that. He is still getting more and more experience and learning about this game. That is his plan (attacking) going forward so that’s a positive sign for us,” said the pacer.

Rishabh Pant was dismissed on 96 off 97 balls on Day 1 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Mohali. He also scored a brisk 39 off 26 balls in the first innings of the 2nd Test and now has 185 runs averaging 61.67 in the series.

Jasprit Bumrah Happy To Contribute To India’s Success And Reckons Nobody Is Complaining About The Wicket

Jasprit Bumrah himself played a key role in taking control of the second Test with his five-wicket haul, which was his first at home.

“It feels good. When you play all three formats you have to look after your body and you sometimes miss out on the home Tests. But it’s always good, this is the time when I got the opportunity and to be able to contribute towards the team’s success is always a great feeling,” he said.

The spin-friendly track made life tough for the Sri Lankan batters even as the Indians negotiated the tough track with aplomb. Asked what the Indian made out of the track, Jasprit Bumrah said that no one is complaining. Jasprit Bumrah feels that scoring runs on a track like this gives way more satisfaction.

“You always play in different conditions, not every wicket will be same. If there is some help for the bowlers, when you score runs on such a wicket gives you a lot of confidence,” he said.

Jasprit Bumrah AP Photo/Rui Vieira
Jasprit Bumrah AP Photo/Rui Vieira

“You will not get flat wickets everywhere you play, so whenever it’s a challenge, you are always looking forward to that challenge.

“Nobody is complaining about the wicket, yes everybody is finding a way and looking forward to contribute because they know if they score good runs on a tough wicket then that will give them a lot of confidence and when they play on a relatively flat wicket that will give them strength. So that is the mood in our camp,” he said.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja shared three wickets between them as Sri Lanka were 151 for 4 at Tea on Day 3 against India in the Pink-ball Test. Sri Lanka need another 296 runs to win while India are 6 wickets away from a 2-0 series victory.

You might be interested in

A fan managed to breach the security to enter the field and click selfie with Virat Kohli during Day 2 play of second Test in Bengaluru. AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi
A fan managed to breach the security to enter the field and click selfie with Virat Kohli during Day 2 play of second Test in Bengaluru. AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi
/

IND vs SL: Jasprit Bumrah Reacts To Security Breach On Day 2 Of The Pink Ball Test

Published on

Jasprit Bumrah reacted to the security breach following the end of the play on Day 2. Towards the close of day’s play of the ongoing second Test between India and Sri Lanka on Sunday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, three fans breached security to enter the ground and two of them even managed to take a selfie with former India captain Virat Kohli before being whisked away by security.

The incident happened in the sixth over of Sri Lanka’s chase in the second innings when visiting player Kusal Mendis was been attended by the team physio after being hit by a lethal delivery from Mohammed Shami.

On seeing an opportunity, three fans entered the ground. Two of them managed to reach Virat Kohli, who was standing at the slip position. One of them took out his mobile and asked Virat Kohli for a selfie and much to their surprise, the 33-year-old obliged.

Jasprit Bumrah reacts to fans breaching security to take selfie with Virat Kohli
Jasprit Bumrah reacts to fans breaching security to take a selfie with Virat Kohli

Jasprit Bumrah: Security Concern An Issue

Talking about the incident, Jasprit Bumrah expressed his concern over the security breach and feels that it has increasingly been an issue.

“That is something we don’t control, obviously the security concern is an issue. Suddenly, we realized that there were intruders but thankfully the officials intervened. We don’t know what to say about that, the craze of the game is very high and the fans get emotional sometimes,” he said.

Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

This wasn’t the only time in this series when such an incident was noticed. Earlier in the Mohali Test, one of the fans had managed to enter the ground before being caught by the officials.

In an attempt to see their favourite cricketer up close and get a chance to click a picture with Virat Kohli, three fans entered the ground and started running towards the players and came close to Virat Kohli, who was fielding at slips. And to everyone’s surprise, Virat Kohli obliged to click the picture.

Shreyas Iyer Hits 2nd Fifty Of The 2nd Test While Rishabh Pant Hits Quickest Fifty By An Indian As India Are In Drivers’ Seat

Talking about the game, it was another action-packed day of the pink-ball Test in Bengaluru. A record of 16 wickets had fallen on day 1 and 14 others fell on the second day. Indian bowlers required 35 deliveries to pick the remaining four wickets and bundle Sri Lanka for just 109. Rishabh Pant‘s record half-century and Shreyas Iyer’s astounding 67 helped India set a mighty target of 447 runs.

The Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in a Test match on home soil.

India's Shreyas Iyer celebrates scoring fifty runs during the first day of the second cricket test match between India and Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, March 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
India’s Shreyas Iyer celebrates scoring fifty runs during the first day of the second cricket test match between India and Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, March 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Shreyas Iyer scored an extraordinary 92 in the first innings against Sri Lanka on a tricky Bengaluru track on Saturday and an evening later followed it up with a second half-century (67) in the same Test. Shreyas Iyer, who is playing his first Day-Night Test for India, managed to score half-centuries in both the innings of the Test and hence became the first Indian cricketer to do so.

Overall, he is the fourth cricketer to score fifty or more in both the innings after West Indies batter Darren Bravo (87 & 116 against Pakistan in Dubai, 2016), Australia’s Steve Smith (130 & 63 against Pakistan in Brisbane, 2016) and Marnus Labuschagne, who is the only batter to do this twice in his career – 143 & 50 against New Zealand in 2019 Perth Test and 103 & 51 against England in Adelaide last year.

You might be interested in

Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant | Twitter
/

Parthiv Patel Impressed With Rishabh Pant’s Keeping And Consistency As A Batsman In Tests

Published on

Parthiv Patel, the former Indian wicketkeeper has been highly impressed with swashbuckling left-hander Rishabh Pant’s consistency, especially in Test cricket. The 24-year-old played another impactful inning against Sri Lanka on Sunday, becoming the fastest Indian player to score a Test fifty.

Parthiv Patel believes Rishabh Pant has already elevated himself into one of the top three wicketkeepers of all time that India have produced based on batting ability. However, in terms of impact, the 37-year-old reckons there is no one better at the moment than Rishabh Pant.

Rishabh Pant brought up his fifty off just 28 balls against Sri Lanka. (P.C.: BCCI)
Rishabh Pant brought up his fifty off just 28 balls against Sri Lanka. (P.C.: BCCI)

Parthiv Patel: Rishabh Pant Is Currently The Best Keeper And Should Be Allowed To Play His Natural Game

Rishabh Pant was dismissed on 96 off 97 balls on Day 1 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Mohali. He also scored a brisk 39 off 26 balls in the first innings of the 2nd Test and now has 185 runs averaging 61.67 in the series.

Speaking after the end of Day 2 of the second Test, Parthiv Patel said about Rishabh Pant’s impact in Test cricket: “Rishabh Pant has consistently improved his wicketkeeping.

“However, if we talk about pure batting ability, then he is among the top three (among Indian wicketkeepers). But if it is about having an impact on the game, then Rishabh Pant is currently the best wicketkeeper.”

File photo of Parthiv Patel with Mumbai Indians | Sandeep Shetty – Sportzpics – IPL
File photo of Parthiv Patel with Mumbai Indians | Sandeep Shetty – Sportzpics – IPL

Rishabh Pant’s shot selection often comes under the scanner as there are numerous occasions where he throws his wicket away while trying to hit a big shot early in his innings. However, Parthiv Patel opined that the team management should be patient with the 24-year-old and should let him play his natural game.

He added: “Rishabh Pant is such a blockbuster player that there will always be a debate on an odd occasion whether there was any need to play that shot. But I think he should be allowed to play his natural game because if you expect him to bat like others then he will no longer be the Rishabh Pant we know.”

With India having bowled Sri Lanka out for 109 early in the day’s play, the hosts extended their 143-run first-innings lead with some quick scoring in their second innings. It was Rishabh Pant, batting at No. 5, who took charge of the innings and attacked the visiting bowlers to help consolidate India’s control. With his brisk fifty, Rishabh Pant broke Kapil Dev‘s almost 40-year record of the fastest Test fifty by an Indian batter.

Parthiv Patel Defends Time Of Declaration As He Believes It Was Important For India To Reach A Safe Defendable Score

Earlier on Sunday, Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah took a fifer, his first in a home Test, as India ran through Sri Lanka’s lower order and bowled them out for 109. Sri Lanka had resumed batting at 86/6 on Day 2 but could add only 23 runs to their total.

The Indian pacers wreaked havoc against the visitors under lights on Day 1 as there was plenty of help for the swinging pink ball. Thus, it was assumed that the hosts would once again put Sri Lanka in to bat under the lights as soon as they could to make full use of the conditions.

However, India bowled just seven overs late on Day 2 and there has been an argument as to whether the declaration could have come earlier. However, Parthiv Patel believes it was important for the hosts to reach a safe score as Sri Lanka can’t be taken for granted.

He stated: “You cannot take any international team lightly. It is important to reach a safe score first and even if it had been any other international team, India would have thought the same way.”

Jasprit Bumrah AP Photo/Rui Vieira
Jasprit Bumrah AP Photo/Rui Vieira

Parthiv Patel added: “Yes, there could be an argument that India would have got more overs to bowl under lights, but the thought process is always to reach a target that you are comfortable defending. “

With three full days left in the game and India needing just nine wickets to win, there is a high chance that the match will end on Day 3 itself.

India 1st innings: 252 Sri Lanka 1st innings: 109 (Angelo Mathews 43; Jasprit Bumrah 5/24). India 2nd innings: 303 for 9 declared (Shreyas Iyer 67, Rishabh Pant 50, Rohit Sharma 46; Praveen Jayawickrama 4/78). Sri Lanka 2nd innings: 28/1(Dimuth Karunaratne 10*, Kusal Mendis 16*, Jasprit Bumrah 1/9)

You might be interested in

1 2 3 … 95