India registered to a massive 295-run win on Monday (November 25) over Australia in Perth, defeating the hosts in all facets of the game. But at the innings break on Day 1, it looked different for the visitors as the batting order collapsed to be bowled out for 150 as well. However, they bounced back and recorded a win as well.
“The message was that sometimes when you are bowled out for a lower score, you can be a little too desperate and you could go pole hunting. So that was the message that when you try too much over here, it doesn’t really help and the run-scoring goes high. So the message was, we will be nice and disciplined and we will make run-making as difficult as we can. Because that is what has worked in the past over here as well. And when we are able to do that, that gives us a lot of success,” he added.
He also credited the bowlers as well for bowling the right lengths and not getting distracted with the extra bounce on offer on Australian pitches as well.
He added, “Usually in Perth, there could be a scenario where when we come from India, the bounce is not as prominent as what is here. So you tend to bowl a little short, you can get excited by the bounce and you can’t find the length. It looks good when you bowl a back of length delivery and the batsman gets beaten, but the batsman is still there. So you have to find the right length. And as I said, we knew that if you make them play more, there is enough in the wicket to give us assistance. So we were focussing on our strengths. We, as a bowling unit, do get a lot of dismissals with bowled LB(W) and caught behind. So we realised that you have to stick to your strengths and find the right length over here. And we were able to do that.”
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Jasprit Bumrah led India to a massive win in Perth in only his second Test match as captain, leading from the front with the ball as well. He also ended the match with figures of 8 for 72 and was named as the Player of the Match as well. He was happy with his first win as captain and always rely on providing his insights to the team in case of any pressure situations as well.
“Obviously, a special win, first win as a captain. Very happy about that. And more happy with the performance of the team. That yes, we were put under pressure and then the character was shown. Obviously, whenever tough scenarios come, I look at myself and how can I contribute. Even when I am not the captain. So whenever tough scenarios are there, I look at answers that… Okay, if I am going to bowl at this moment, what can I do? So in this moment, we were a new side. So I automatically wanted to put myself in tough scenarios whenever we needed to do something. I was trying to put myself in that tough scenario to make the job a little bit easier for the new guys coming in. Because it is not very easy in the first goal to take a lot of responsibility,” he added.
Bumrah also added that he wanted his team to have faith in themselves after their first innings score and shared that if a player has faith in themselves, result can be achieved. He also credited the 10-12 day preparation camp they had leading into the first Test which allowed them to also get acclimatised with the conditions as well.
“Yeah, very happy with the beginning you know, we were put under pressure in the first innings but the way we responded after that, I’m really proud of the team. I played here in 2018 so I remembered that when you start here the wicket is a little soft and it becomes quicker and quicker later. Obviously, this wicket was a little less spicy than the last one I played on here. But we were really well prepared so I was just telling everyone to have faith in their process and ability because over here at this moment, we had an opportunity to do something special. So on a given day, experience does matter but if you have faith in your ability, you can do something special,” he said.
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He briefly commented on opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and praised his 161 as the batter’s best Test hundred so far. He also credited the change in technique after Jaiswal was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and how he bounced back as well.
“Jaiswal, I think out of all his innings, he has had a great start to his career but the last innings was probably his best Test innings so far. He left the ball, he has an attacking nature but he left the ball well and played long,” he concluded.
The two teams will play in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide from December 6.
