Shruti Suman
Jasprit Bumrah, India’s renowned fast bowler, silenced his critics with an outstanding performance against England, securing three crucial wickets in his team’s 100-run victory. Bumrah’s impressive bowling laid the foundation for Rohit Sharma and his team as they defended a modest total of 239 runs. Following India’s sixth consecutive win in the competition, Bumrah addressed the negative chatter he faced on social media. The fast bowler expressed his delight at making a strong comeback to the national team.
Bumrah, who spent a significant portion of the past year sidelined due to injuries, mentioned that many had suggested his career was finished. Therefore, he was particularly pleased to prove them wrong.
“My wife, the TV sports presenter Sanjana Ganesan, also works in sports media. So, I heard numerous doubts about my career and whether I’d return, but it doesn’t bother me. I’m very content,” Bumrah stated in an interview with Sky Sports after India’s 100-run victory over defending champions England.
“Then I returned, and I rediscovered my very deep passion for playing the game. I wasn’t chasing anything. I had a great mental outlook when I came back from the injury. So, I’m focusing on the positives and trying to savor the game as much as I can,” he added.
Despite India’s early struggles with the bat, managing only 239 runs, their bowlers made up for it with a spectacular performance in Lucknow. Reflecting on the match against England, Bumrah expressed satisfaction with the pressure put on the Indian team by Jos Buttler’s side.
“It was a good challenge for us to be pushed under pressure. We lost some early wickets. We had to tighten our game both in batting and fielding, putting in a lot of effort. So, I’m really pleased with the result. It was a valuable experience because we’ve been bowling first for a while now. In the previous series I played, India was chasing,” Bumrah explained.
He further said that “Usually, when you’re bowling with a new ball, you initially look for swing if it’s available. If not, you aim to maintain a hard length and make it as challenging as possible. There was some swing, although not much from my end. I then shifted to seam bowling, which proved to be effective.”
Khushi Sikarwar
