‘We bowlers let SA off in Cape Town’
Debutant Jasprit Bumrah accepts Indian bowlers hit wrong lengths in first innings, thus letting SA off the hook
CENTURION: India seamer Jasprit Bumrah admitted the team was bowling wrong lengths in the first innings of the Newlands Test, which probably allowed South Africa to recover from 12/3 and score 286 in their first innings.
Debutant Bumrah dismissed AB de Villiers as his first scalp but this was after a prolonged period of over-pitching the ball that helped the South African stalwart build a 114-run partnership with captain Faf du Plessis. In the context of the match, that stand buried India’s hopes as both sides capitulated in the second innings.
“In the first innings we thought we bowled a little fuller than normal because in India the wickets are different, where we have to pitch fuller to get the swing and to get the batsmen on the front foot. Over here, there is bounce, there is a little bit of difference,” Bumrah said at a media interaction here on Thursday.
“We analysed that and tried to adapt in the second innings, and as a unit we were able to create pressure. So, that was the basic plan going into the second innings. That worked well. So hopefully, we will see videos of these wickets, what happens over here and plan according to it.”
Bumrah, 24, raised mainly on a diet of limited-overs cricket, hasn’t played Ranji Trophy for almost a year, but he showed the adaptability required to bowl with the red ball in alien conditions. In the second innings, he looked a much improved bowler.
“Were alis ed what mistakes we made in the first innings, so we were trying to create pressure from both ends and focus on our lengths, which were wrong in the first innings. We just tried to correct them and not overdo things because over here, when there is help from the wicket, you try to do extra, but that won’t help. So we were just trying to be disciplined and stick to basics.”
Having rapidly risen through the ranks, Bumrah said he wasn’t nervous about his debut despite the long gap between playing first-class matches. “No nervousness, it’s not like in my life I was playing a first-class game for the first time. I have played a lot of four-day games. There was a discussion that I would play the match, so I was talking to our bowling coach (on) what kind of things I should do, what kind of wickets are over here or what should I expect,” he said.
Even though he conceded runs in Newlands, Bumrah feels he can only grow after a debut Test. “Confidence doesn’t (get) dented after one match,” he said, when asked whether going for runs shook him. “If it happens, then you don’t deserve to play. Learn from the mistake you made and go forward. There is not a single cricketer who has not made a mistake. You keep learning and you keep improving all the time.
“We are trying to rectify our mistakes and move forward.”
We realised what mistakes we made in the first innings, so we were trying to create pressure from both ends and focus on our lengths. Confidence doesn’t (get) dented after one match. If it happens, then you don’t deserve to play. Learn from the mistake you made.