Tried to hit the seam as much as I could: Jasprit Bumrah

That Jasprit Bumrah is possibly the greatest player India have ever produced may not have taken wild acclaim yet, but there’s always a case to be made. In the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 match against Pakistan, Bumrah bowled a spell for ages as India defended 119 runs to secure a valuable two points from the game.

Bumrah ended the spell with 14/3 in his four overs - in particular, his last two overs that pushed Pakistan to a corner. Speaking about his spell, the Gujarat pacer stated that he just wanted to hit the seam as much as he could and that yielded successful results.

“It feels really good. We felt we were a little under and the wicket got a little better after the sun came out. We were really disciplined, so it feels good. Tried to hit the seam as much as I could, tried to be as clear as I could with my execution and it all came out well so I felt happy,” Bumrah said in the post-match presentation.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma effusively praised Bumrah and called him a “genius” who is going from "strength to strength". “We all know what he can do. Not going to talk too much about him. Want him to be in that mindset throughout the WC. He's a genius, we all know that,” the Indian skipper added.

However, Rohit admitted that India's batting was not good enough. At one point, India were going strong at 89/3, but then a collapse saw them 112-9 before being shut out for 119. Rohit stated that it was a good wicket as compared to the last game, but their batters didn’t show enough application.

“We didn't bat well enough. Halfway through our innings, we were in a good position. We didn't put enough partnership there and fell short with the bat. We spoke about every run matters on a pitch like that. There was enough in the pitch. Was a good wicket to be honest, compared to the last game. 

“With a bowling lineup like that you feel confident to do the job. Halfway through the stage when they were batting, we got everyone together and said that if it can happen to us, it can happen to them. Little contribution from everyone can make a huge difference,” the 37-year-old added.

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