Game still in balance if we can get early wickets: Jasprit Bumrah

The 2nd Test match between India and South Africa is turning out to be very interesting. The game’s balance seems to be swinging either way at all the times. Just as it looked like India will comfortably cruise past the South African total, they were bowled out with a 28 run deficit. Then, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah set South Africa on the back foot. He picked two wickets very early in the South African innings in the brilliant spell that he bowled. He got both Aiden Markram and Hashim Amla out LBW on 1. South Africa was down to 3/2 in just the sixth over.

AB de Villiers yet again surfed against the tide just like he did in the first test. He didn’t press the panic button and looked to counter-attack the Indian bowlers. He scored a quick-fire 50 off just 78 balls to put the South African innings back on track. The other South African opener, Dean Elgar too played a gritty knock for his 36 runs. At the end of day’s play, South Africa looked in a commanding position on 90 for a loss of 2 wickets.

Early wickets are the key

With the South African lead close to 120 now, Bumrah is still optimistic about the result. He said, “The game is still in balance if we get early wickets on Tuesday. The match can be in anybody’s favour. We will look to create pressure on Tuesday as well. I think the game is still in balance right now. ”

He also felt that building pressure on the Proteas batsman is important. “We wanted to keep things simple and build pressure as a unit. We wanted to build pressure from both ends, thinking if we dry up their runs they will have to make some opportunities. So we were just focusing on creating pressure. That was helping us and that was our basic game,” Jasprit Bumrah told reporters after the end of day’s play. He opined that ABD is a world-class batsman and felt bowling against him is a good challenge.

Rain and bad light intervened twice in the last session. Indian team skipper Virat Kohli wasn’t too happy that they had to bowl with a wet ball after the interruption. He was also not pleased that the players were taken off just when the Indian pacers were in the ascendancy in the final session. Bumrah said that the little bit of swing that was on offer was nullified as the ball got wet on both sides due to a wet outfield.

Speaking of the catching opportunity missed by Parthiv Patel, he said no one drops catches on purpose. He also lauded Virat Kohli’s knock which kept the team in the game. Bumrah, however, signed off by saying that he is comfortable opening the bowling or playing as the first change bowler as well.

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