IND vs AUS 2022: Jasprit Bumrah not being there makes a big difference, says Hardik Pandya

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya admitted that Jasprit Bumrah not being there makes a big difference. India could not defend despite posting a huge total of 208 runs on the board against Australia at the IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Tuesday as they lost by four wickets.

Bumrah didn’t play in the first T20I as he is reportedly yet to fully recover from the back injury, which had ruled him out of the Asia Cup. Meanwhile, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel were taken for runs in the last few overs by Matthew Wade to help Australia get over the line.

Harshal Patel conceded 22 runs in the 18th over while Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded 16 runs in the penultimate over of the run chase. The duo conceded a total of 101 runs in the eight overs they bowled collectively.

On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah is going to hold the key for India when he will make a return to the team. Bumrah is mostly right on the money in the death overs and the team is certainly missing his services. The fast bowler is regarded as one of the best death bowlers in the world and he is known for his accurate yorkers.

“Jasprit not being there obviously makes a big difference. He is coming back after an injury, it is important for him to get enough time to kind of come back and maybe not put a lot of pressure on himself,” Hardik told the reporters.

“We all know what he brings to the table and how important he is for us. There will be concerns here and there (about bowling) which is fine. We got to trust our boys. These are the best 15 in the country and that is why they are there in the squad,” Hardik said.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya was at his best as he scored a scintillating knock of 71 runs off just 30 balls and played a key role in helping India get past the 200-run mark but his efforts went in vain.

“I have gotten a lot of success recently, but for me, what is more important is that even on my good days how can I get better? The kind of career graph I have had, I don’t make a big deal about my performances, whether success or failure,” he said.

“I had a good game today. They could target me in the next game and I need to be one step ahead,” Pandya concluded on the matter.

India will face Australia in the second T20I at Nagpur on Friday.