World Cup 2023: We wanted to bowl hard lengths – Jasprit Bumrah reveals successful plan against Pakistan

India’s gun-fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has revealed he wanted to bowl hard lengths after realizing the pitch was on the slow side against Pakistan in the ongoing World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Saturday.

The high-octane clash turned out to be a one-sided affair as India thrashed Pakistan by seven wickets with 117 balls to spare. Pakistan was skittled out for a paltry score of 191 runs after Rohit Sharma decided to put the opposition into bat.

In fact, the Men in Green were cruising at one stage with 155-2 on the board with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan going strongly. However, Pakistan lost the remaining eight wickets for only 36 runs in the space of 13 overs.

Bumrah played a key role in that slide as he returned with figures of 2-19 in the seven overs he bowled. The ace pacer bamboozled in-form Mohammad Rizwan with a slower ball whereas he clean bowled Shadab Khan with an absolute peach.

Bumrah once again proved his mettle and became the ongoing World Cup’s leading wicket-taker with eight scalps. Furthermore, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja bagged two wickets apiece for India.

Bumrah said in the post-match presentation after he was awarded Player of the Match, “It felt good. Usually, you try to analyse the wicket as soon as possible. We realized the wicket is on the slower side so we wanted to bowl hard lengths. We were trying to make it as difficult as possible. (On how he reads pitches quickly and understands what lengths work) Just being aware I guess.:

When asked about assessing the pitch and getting his assessment spot on, Bumrah added he is an experienced campaigner and asked a lot of questions to his senior players when he was trying to come up the ranks.

He said, “I used to ask a lot of questions when I was young and that helps me now. Now I’m experienced. In my younger days they (seniors) were used to being troubled by me sometimes (with questions), but it helps to read the wicket and try different options. (On the slower ball to get rid of Rizwan) We were bowling in the middle overs and I saw Jaddu’s ball was turning, not too much but a little bit. I count my slower ball as a spinner’s slower ball, one of those days where it came off. (On the ball that got Shadab) Little phase where there was reverse swing, one of the occasions when the white ball was reverse swinging.”

After India skittled out Pakistan for a paltry score of 191 runs, Rohit Sharma played a blistering knock of 86 runs off just 63 balls to continue his purple patch. Moreover, Shreyas Iyer scored an unbeaten knock of 53 and this knock must have given him a lot of confidence.

With this win, India also moved to the top of the points table after winning all of their three matches. India will next take on Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Thursday.