India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has made his return from injury a memorable one as he registered a crucial 5-wicket haul in the second innings of the third Test of ongoing 5-match Test series against England at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. He said that his comeback has been possible because of the hard work he had put in while staying away from the camera. He finished the day 4 of the Test with the figures of 5-85 as England were reduced to 311 for nine in pursuit of chasing an impossible looking target of 521 runs and now the win is just a formality for the visitors.
Talking about his comeback, Jasprit said, “When I made my First-Class debut, my first spell was of 10 overs. So I was always used to bowling lot of overs in Ranji Trophy, which always helps. When I was injured I was working on my fitness and my training schedules. All of that helps today. You don’t get anything easy. That hard work makes you successful on days like these. The hard work we do away from the camera is what bears results on days like these.”
England team was reduced to 62 for four at one stage before the lunch on Day 4 but the partnership of Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes which even continued after the tea break frustrated the Indian bowlers.
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Talking about the partnership, Bumrah said, “In Test cricket, it’s all about patience and consistency. You can’t blast the batsmen out. I was looking to bowl good lengths and always challenge the batsmen with good lengths and good line. So in the end it was a good day. I got the edge (off Root).”
Describing the wicket of Buttler, the pacer said, “We’ve played together for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, so I’ve bowled a little bit to him (Buttler) in the nets. It’s always an interesting competition because he’s an attacking player. If he gets a good start, he keeps on going and it could create problems. I was just focusing on my strengths, what has worked for me before. I’ve got him out 2-3 times in the IPL as well and in the nets as well. I have a clear plan, a clear head and a clear space of mind.”
Buttler went on to score his maiden Test century while Stokes scored the slowest half-century of his international career which resulted in the second session of Day 4 going wicketless. After the Tea Break, it was Bumrah, who used the second new ball really well, and broke the crucial partnership and exploited the English lower order and now India is on the verge of making the scoreline of the series 2-1.
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Speaking of that crucial spell, Jasprit said, “We were happy that even when the ball got older we were still bowling good lines and good lengths. It got better to bat on. The second new ball, because of the new seam, it was seaming a bit more than the older ball. We were just trying to get one wicket, not to look too far ahead. It doesn’t matter (if we win on day four or five). As far as you get the desired result, you are very happy.”
In the game, it was also the brilliance of the slip fielder KL Rahul, who took his tally to seven catches in the match, and he was well supported by the Indian slip cordon gave a good performance as compared to England.
Additionally, Bumrah concluded by speaking about crucial insights he received from the Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun. He said, “I was injured but I was able to bowl in the nets. I was just focusing on that, keeping an eye on what both teams were doing in the first two games — what’s helping them, and what is successful here. Try to get into the groove pretty quickly – that was my basic aim.”
