Jasprit Bumrah impact: India’s record vs Bangladesh since 2019 shows pacer is key for Pune World Cup clash

To say that Jasprit Bumrah has been a key player for India in the World Cup this year would be an understatement.

If you listened to the press conference of Paras Mhambrey ahead of the clash against Bangladesh, the Indian bowling coach said how much the team had missed the pacer over the past few years due to his injury concerns.

“It’s been tough, last couple of years have been really tough. To miss someone like Bumrah, you have seen him in the last 3 games he played, what he brings to the table. He is a world-class bowler. He gives you those breakthroughs in the powerplays, and he is gun death bowler. We really missed him. Glad that he is shaping well. We must really credit the medical staff at the NCA and in the team as well,” said Mhambrey.

ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023: Full Coverage

Bumrah is currently one of the top wicket-takers in the World Cup campaign this year with 8 scalps to his name from three matches at a fantastic economy-rate.

One of Bumrah’s most notable performances in the World Cup 2023 was against Afghanistan. In this match, he showcased his remarkable bowling skills by taking four wickets for just 39 runs in his quota of 10 overs. This performance, which was his best in the World Cup to date, played a crucial role in India’s eight-wicket victory over Afghanistan. His exceptional performance earned him high praise from former cricketer Irfan Pathan, who hailed him as the best bowler in the world.

Bumrah’s performance against Pakistan in the same tournament was also noteworthy. He displayed his unique bowling technique, which involves a slower ball that is difficult for batters to pick up due to its deceptive speed and angle. This technique proved to be particularly effective against Mohammad Rizwan, leading to a significant collapse in Pakistan’s batting lineup.

Going into the match against Bangladesh, one needs to just look at what happened in the 2019 edition of the World Cup when both teams faced off to really gauge the pacer’s impact on the side.

Bumrah picked up four wickets on the day as India won the match by 28 runs in a tight encounter. Since that win in Birmingham, India’s record against Bangladesh hasn’t been the best one.

In the last four matches between both sides, Bangladesh have won three of them. A common theme in those three defeats was the absence of Bumrah.

The first loss at Mirpur last year was by just one wicket as Indian bowlers leaked runs in the death. The second one a few days later saw the Indian bowling attack let Bangladesh off the hook in the middle overs as Mehidy Hasan scored a fine hundred.

The latest loss was a dead-rubber game in the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4s stage, where India lost by just six runs, and incidentally, the team let Bangladesh off the hook at the death.

Bumrah, since his return, has been sensational in the middle overs and at the death, which has always been his speciality.

His record against Bangladesh is also spectacular in ODIs, as he has 10 wickets in four matches against them at an average of 17. Had Bumrah been in the side for the last four matches against the neighbours, the result could have been in India’s favour.

However, in Pune, amidst an electrifying crowd on October 19, India will be dependant on their ace pacer to deliver the goods and help the team maintain their incredible run in the competition.