The fiery Indian pacer, Jasprit Bumrah made an impressive return to international cricket on Sunday when he scalped three Australian wickets by conceding just 16 runs in the first T20I in Visakhapatnam. After India put up a disappointing total of 126 for 7 even after making a promising start, it was left to the bowlers to defend the total and the spearhead did his bit flawlessly.
Australia required 16 runs in the last two overs to win the game and Bumrah gave just two in the 19th over and also picked two wickets. India had Australia in the coffin but failed to get the nails in as Umesh Yadav conceded the remaining 14 to allow the visitors go 1-0 up in the two-game series.
Irrespective of the result of the game, Bumrah earned praises from both camps. While the Indian skipper Kohli said after the match that “Bumrah can do wonders” and was pleased that the hosts had taken the game till the last ball. His Australian counterpart Aaron Finch also lauded Bumrah saying it becomes harder for the batsmen if he has overs left at the death. Finch’s words were echoed by former Aussie speedster Shaun Tait who felt that Jasprit is the best death bowler in the world.
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Meanwhile, Bumrah became the second Indian bowler to complete 50 wickets in T20Is after Ravichandran Ashwin. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Tait said: “He (Jasprit Bumrah) summed up the conditions really well. He bowled a good length and Handscomb could not pick him up, who is a genuine batsman. So, he got his yorkers really well. But also, he bowls that heavy length bowl at the right time, which I think he bowled really well. At the end of the day, he is the best death bowler in the world, there is no surprise in that.”
Bumrah, who is the top-ranked bowler in ODIs at the moment as per the ICC’s listing, was rested for the limited-overs series in Australia and New Zealand following his eye-catching performance in the Test series Down Under. The Indian team management wants to use the bowler judiciously ahead of the ICC World Cup starting May and hence he is being picked series-wise.
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Bumrah also garnered praise from all over and former India opener Aakash Chopra has also lauded the pacer. Chopra took to Twitter to hail the pacer, saying that the pacer is the Virat Kohli of Indian bowling. Chopra tweeted, “Bumrah is Kohli of the Indian bowling. Or maybe, he’s even more important than his skipper. What. An. Asset”.
Bumrah is Kohli of the Indian bowling. Or may be, he’s even more important than his skipper.
What. An. Asset. #IndvAus @StarSportsIndia— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 24, 2019
Speaking at the end of the game, Bumrah said that he was not thinking much before bowling the 19th over and was just backing his strength.
The Indian pacer explained, “Not a lot, just focus on what my strengths are and what the wicket is because the wicket was a little difficult to bat on, it was not a wicket you could score heavily on, to play big shots on this sluggish wicket was a little difficult. So I was just figuring out what my options were and was looking to execute them.”
