IND vs NZ | Always had belief that India could pull things back, reveals Jasprit Bumrah

02/02/2020

Jasprit Bumrah, who was named Man of the Match for his startling spell of 3/12 which choked the Kiwis, revealed that the team always believed that they needed just two good overs to get back into the game. Bumrah’s heroics helped India win the series 5-0 and inflict a whitewash on the hosts.

After Shivam Dube’s 34-run over and after the duo of Ross Taylor and Tim Seifert had brought the equation down to 66 needed in 60 balls, it looked like New Zealand were finally going to get it right on their third attempt, with victory being at sight. However, an incredible over from Jasprit Bumrah in the 12th - where he conceded just 6 runs - pulled things back for India and it eventually ended up being the catalyst of a Kiwi collapse as the hosts, from thereon, added just 43 runs off the next 8 overs to end up losing the match by 7 runs.

In the aftermath of the result, Bumrah revealed that the team always believed that two good overs was all they needed to pull things back and get back into the game, something that happened thanks to himself and his partner-in-crime Navdeep Saini.

“Feeling very good. The match got close at one point but we had belief that if we can squeeze in one or two good overs, the match can get close,” the Indian pacer said at the post-match presentation, reported Cricbuzz.

The unusually long boundaries at the Bay Oval and the intervention of wind also made it a tad difficult for the bowlers, but Bumrah revealed that he used the longer side of the boundary to his advantage. Bumrah also added that he was happy with his outing in the series, with it being his first-ever on Kiwi soil.

“It was windy, I was trying to use the wind and the longer side of the boundary. Very happy with the learnings, different ground dimensions, first time in New Zealand; great result.”

The teams will now gear up for the three-match ODI series, which will commence on February 5 at Seddon Park in Hamilton.