NEWS
Follow UsLast year hadn’t been particularly easy for Jasprit Bumrah, who had to suffer his way through a back injury and stayed out of the cricket field for a major part of it. When he returned for the Ireland series, he instantly hit it off, but there were always concerns about how he would go about his fitness management.
However, two games into the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Bumrah has been absolutely sensational in his approach and picked up a four-wicket haul on Wednesday to help India secure a comfortable victory. On being asked about how difficult was it for him to adapt to a batting-friendly Delhi wicket, Bumrah stated that he tries to read the wicket and finds the best answer accordingly.
“I am not result-oriented,” Bumrah said in the post-match press conference. “Just because I have taken four wickets, that doesn't mean that I am very, very happy or I have done something extraordinary. I just go with my preparation. I go with the process that I feel is right. I try to read the wickets and try to find the best answers that work on that wicket.
“As simple as that, not thinking about the results because I've got results today. I'm very, very good; that doesn't work in my book. I try to back my strengths, try to read the wicket, and try to give my best.”
Bumrah further added that bowlers were focused on hitting hard lengths, with the wicket being conducive for batting.
“In this format, you have to understand what is working. So, some days there would be some swings, so your lengths would change. But this wicket was quite a batting track that we realised early on as well when we started bowling. There was a little bit of seam, but the ball was coming onto the bat really well from the first over so we realised that. So, we are just trying to hit the hard length, try to make it as difficult as possible and try to make them hit difficult shots. So that was the plan, and probably trying to do that.”
India will take on Pakistan in the next encounter in Bumrah’s hometown of Ahmedabad. That will be Bumrah’s first ODI at the venue, for which he is understandably excited, but more so to meet his mother after months of being on the road.
“Obviously, I've been away for a while now. I'll be happy to see my mother at home. I'm going to see her. That's the first basic thing for me. It's obviously playing at home. I have not played a one-day international there. I played a test match. So yeah, the atmosphere is going to be exciting. I'm sure a lot of people are going to come. So, it will be a sight to see. So yeah, hoping for the best over there,” the Indian pace spearhead added.
