Pace spearhead and Sunday’s hero Jasprit Bumrah credits team’s calmness for India’s thrilling low-scoring win over arch-rivals Pakistan in New York
Jasprit Bumrah is ecstatic after dismissing Pakistan skipper Babar Azam in New York on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images
At the halfway stage of their chase at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, Pakistan were in contention. Very much so. Needing 120 to get their stuttering T20 World Cup campaign back on the rails, they had reached 57 for one, requiring a further 63 off 60 deliveries with nine wickets in hand. Ninety-five times out of hundred, the batting team would have got the job done from that position.
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This wasn’t one of those times. With the indefatigable Jasprit Bumrah leading their charge and the rest of the bowling group rising to the occasion, India pulled off one of their more famous victories, by six runs as Pakistan crashed and burned to finish on 113 for seven at the completion of their allotment of overs.
Outstanding Bumrah
Bumrah, who had taken two for six during the eight-wicket rout of Ireland on Wednesday, was outstanding on his way to three for 14 from four overs, among his victims were the Pakistani opening duo of skipper Babar Azam and top-scorer Mohammad Rizwan.
“We are very, very happy with the result we got and the biggest positive for us was the calmness because when we were batting in the morning, there was a lot more help and when we started bowling, the ball stopped seaming and there wasn’t a lot of lateral movement,” Bumrah, with a second consecutive Player of the Match award under his belt, crooned.
“We had to be more consistent and more accurate and we as a unit were very calm and very clear on what we wanted to do. We are very happy that we were able to contribute and created that pressure.”
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Bumah’s fast-bowling colleagues weighed in nicely, Hardik Pandya following up on three wickets against Ireland with two for 24 and Mohammed Siraj conceding less than five an over. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who had earlier enjoyed his elevation to No. 4 with 20, the second highest score in India’s 119 all out, bowled a crucial 16th over in which he gave away only two and Arshdeep Singh closed out the match by easily defending 18 in the last over.
“Bumrah is going from strength to strength,” skipper Rohit Sharma said. “We want him to be in that kind of mindset till the end of this World Cup, he’s a genius with the ball.”
Super day for Pant
Rishabh Pant might not yet be a genius with the bat, but he is rapidly getting there. It was on the back of his entertaining and carefree 42 that India reached 119, though on another day, they might have rued adding only 38 after reaching the 10-over mark at 81 for three. Pant was chancy but audacious, his third-wicket stand of 39 with Axar settling Indian nerves following the dismissals inside the first three overs of Rohit and Virat Kohli. He also had a super day behind the stumps with three terrific catches, including an inside-edge screamer to pack off Imad Wasim.
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