Jasprit Bumrah, the pace spearhead of the Indian cricket team, marked a triumphant comeback to international cricket after an 11-month hiatus, providing a significant boost to India’s prospects in the upcoming home World Cup scheduled for October-November. Bumrah’s absence was felt during the T20 World Cup and the World Test Championship final due to a back injury that necessitated surgical intervention.
During the T20 series in Ireland, where he was entrusted with leading a second-string Indian side, Bumrah made a compelling return by securing figures of 2/24 in his comeback match. This instrumental performance aided India in securing victory in the rain-affected opening match through the Duckworth-Lewis method. Reflecting on his journey back, Bumrah shared, “So many sessions I did at the NCA (National Cricket Academy), and played a lot of practice games, that it didn’t feel like I missed out on a lot, or was doing something new.” He acknowledged the beneficial weather conditions, highlighting the advantage gained from winning the toss.
In the initial over, Bumrah conceded a boundary but swiftly rebounded by dismissing Andy Balbirnie on the very next delivery. His fifth ball resulted in the wicket of Lorcan Tucker, who attempted a scoop shot that ended up as a simple catch for wicketkeeper Sanju Samson. Assuming the role of captaincy played a pivotal role in overcoming any jitters, according to Bumrah, who was named the player of the match. He explained, “Because when you are captaining, you are not thinking about yourself, you are thinking about others. Probably that sometimes works in your favour that you are looking after everyone and your performance takes care of itself.”
With a potential series-clinching victory on the horizon, the visitors have an opportunity to secure the three-match series in Dublin on Sunday. Looking ahead, India faces a more rigorous challenge in the Asia Cup, commencing their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Pallekele on September 2.
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