‘No one in Team India talks about Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling…’: Axar Patel says even coaches leave him alone

Axar Patel said nobody in the Indian team talks too much with Jasprit Bumrah about how to go about his business. India’s bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, in fact, doesn’t like to give Bumrah much input as the former India bowler believes it may create confusion in his mind, said Axar. Bumrah produced a spell for the ages to help India beat Bangladesh by 47 runs in a T20 World Cup Super Eight match in Barbados on Thursday.

Bumrah gave away only seven runs and picked up the wickets of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazratullah Zazai and Najibullah Zadran. This was the eighth consecutive T20 World Cup match where Bumrah conceded less than seven runs in his spell.

“I don’t think anyone talks much about Bumrah’s bowling He has an idea of what to do and what not to do. So I think when it is going so well, I don’t think the bowling coach is giving so much input that there is some confusion in his mind. He just says that you are doing well, whatever thinking you are doing is also going well. So, I think, as much as I have seen, the bowling coach doesn’t interfere much. He says this during planning that whatever your mindset is, it is clear, so just execute your plans,” Axar Patel said in the post-match presentation.

Bumrah quickly realised that cutters and slower ones were the best way to take wickets on the Barbados track that was stopping and turning a bit. He got his first wickets with slower deliveries in the powerplay and then came back at the backend of the innings to get rid of Zadran with a fuller-length yorker.

India’s bowlers, led by Bumrah, did not allow Afghanistan to get into the chase at point in time. The Afghans could only manage 134 in their 20 overs.

‘Bumrah a world-class bowler’: Axar Patel

Axar said having someone like Bumrah in the side is always an added advantage. “Obviously, Jasprit Bumrah is a world-class bowler, and you know that with the quality of bowlers we have on our side – we can get out of a tough situation,”

Axar, however, asserted that the performance of the bowler at the other end, doesn’t change his plans much. He tries to focus on his strengths to get the best results. “You have to think about what you have, what is your strengths, what your weaknesses are. So don’t think much about what the other bowler did, like you said in partnerships we should bowl like this. I was just thinking that on this wicket what works for me. Like, after 1-2 balls, I realised that if I change the pace and length, it is better on this wicket. That’s what I was doing.

“I was not thinking that he has bowled so well from the other end, I will have to do this and that. If I think that way, I am putting more pressure on myself. I was thinking how I can give my best in this situation. That was my plan and I was bowling with that thinking,” he said.

Bumrah’s new-ball partner Arshdeep Singh also picked up three wickets to take his T20 World Cup wickets tally to 10. Apart from the pacers, spinners Axar, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav also played their parts. Playing in his first match in this World Cup, Kuldeep returned with figures of 2/32 while left-arm spin-bowling all-rounders Axar and Jadeja picked up a wicket apiece.