England vs India: Bumrah credits hard work away from the camera for comeback success

Pacer Jasprit  Bumrah credited his hard work away from the camera for his sensational comeback to Test cricket after an injury. The right-arm speedster dismantled the English batting line-up as his figures of 5/85 set up an inevitable victory for India on the fifth day of the third Test match at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

His fiery spell with the new ball changed the complexion of the game entirely as the hosts are now barely hanging on at 311/9, still needing 210 more runs to clinch a miraculous victory.

He said, “When I made my First-Class debut, my first spell was of 10 overs. So I was always used to bowling lot of overs in Ranji Trophy, which always helps. That helped me today as well,” he said. “When I was injured I was working on my fitness and my training schedules. I was always in touch with our trainers so that whenever I come (back) I should be in good space. All of that helps today.”

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It was Bumrah’s second five-wicket haul in the longest version of the game. His fiery spell thus has put India in the driver’s seat to win this match in the series where they trail 0-2.

“You don’t get anything easy. You have to work for it. We work hard. That hard work makes you successful on days like these. The hard work we do away from the camera is what bears results on days like these,” he further added, as quoted by The Indian Express.

India began their defence of an improbable 521-run target for England on a high having reduced the hosts to 62/4 at one stage. But a 169-run stand between Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes looked to put England back on track. But Bumrah’s two-wicket burst in the 83^rd turned the tides in India’s favour.

“In white-ball cricket things are different — over there you outsmart the batsman, and over here in Test cricket it’s all about patience and consistency. That was my main focus today. You can’t blast the batsmen out.

“I was looking to bowl good lengths and always challenge the batsmen with good lengths and a good line. So, in the end, it was a good day. I got the edge (off Root).” Bumrah also said that he relished his duels with English captain Joe Root and Buttler, further adding that consistency is most important to bowl well in these conditions.

“We’ve played together for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, so I’ve bowled a little bit to him (Buttler) in the nets, but not a lot. It’s always an interesting competition because he’s an attacking player. He’s an important player for their team as well. If he gets a good start, he keeps on going and it could create problems.

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“I was just focusing on my strengths, what has worked for me before. I’ve got him out 2-3 times in the IPL as well and in the nets as well. I was just focusing on that, what has helped me when I was bowling to him. I have a clear plan, a clear head and a clear space of mind,” he said.

Speaking of bowling attacking angles to both right-handers and left-handers, Bumrah said, “My focus is to always enjoy and bowl good lines and lengths. Test cricket is all about consistency and patience. In one-day cricket, you outsmart the batsmen. Here it’s all about consistency. It doesn’t matter if I bowl to a left-hander or a right-hander.”

Buttler went on to score his maiden hundred for England in the whites and despite Stokes slow’ half-century, England had to rely on the shoulders of James Anderson and Adil Rashid to drag the game till the last day.

“We were happy that even when the ball got older we were still bowling good lines and good lengths. The movement was less as soon as the sun came out. It got better to bat on. We always had the belief that if we keep on applying pressure, sometime or the other we will get the result,” he said.

“The second new ball, because of the new seam, it was seaming a bit more than the older ball. That was helping as well. I was focussing on that. We were just trying to get one wicket, not to look too far ahead.”

“It doesn’t matter (if we win on day four or five). As far as you get the desired result, you are very happy.”

Bumrah also talked about not losing any focus whatsoever during his recovery from injury.

“I was injured but I was able to bowl in the nets. Even when I was back home, I was trying to train in the gym, whatever I could do, maybe run on the treadmill. But I was always focusing and keeping an eye on what works over here that suits my bowling.

“I was just focusing on that, keeping an eye on what both teams were doing in the first two games — what’s helping them, and what is successful here. I was just trying to keep an eye and replicate that in the nets sessions.,” added the Gujarat seamer.

“Try to get into the groove pretty quickly – that was my basic aim,” Bumrah signed off saying.