Jasprit Bumrah says he ‘wasn’t angry, just focussed on job’ after five-wicket haul in Cape Town Test

Jasprit Bumrah said that he won’t quote any ‘magic number’ which could challenge the South Africans but maintained that compared to the first two Tests, this one at Newlands is on the flatter side.

India's Jasprit Bumrah (right) celebrates after picking up a wicket on Day 2 of the third Test against South Africa. (Photo: Reuters)

Team India pacer Jasprit Bumrah understands that there will be varied opinions about his bowling and there is no point losing one’s cool on outside noise on which he has no control. Bumrah had a reasonably disappointing outing in India's defeat at the Wanderers and his performance came under a lot of scrutiny.

“Nothing out of ordinary and I wasn’t giving extra attention. I was not really too angry and I was focussed on the present and did what I had to,” Bumrah, who took five for 42 in the third Test, said at the end of day’s play.

Someone asked if outside noise really bothers the team, Bumrah smiled wryly. “Basically, you summed up the question and answered it as well. Theirs success is by product and basically what we do is to have a routine and follow that. Some days I would get wickets, some days somebody else will get wickets,” said Bumrah,who now has seven five-wicket haul.

From Centurion to Cape Town via Jo'Burg

The tradition continues #TeamIndia | #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/lioDrrX2Wq

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 12, 2022

Criticism or praise doesn’t overtly bother Bumrah. “There will be doubters and there will be people praising you and that is something that an individual has to decide. I don’t really pay attention to outside noise as it doesn’t really help. When I bowl, I have it in my control and I try to bring in my perspective towards bowling, try to avoid what’s going on, may be some people might like my bowling and some people might not,” India’s pace spearhead was pragmatic.

‘No magic number but this pitch on flatter side’

Bumrah said that he won’t quote any ‘magic number’ which could challenge the South Africans but maintained that compared to the first two Tests, this one at Newlands is on the flatter side and batters will get value for their shots once the ball gets old as the strip remains ‘true’ in terms of bounce.

“It is a new ball wicket, it swings with the new ball and as seam goes down, batting becomes relatively easy. We have seen that trend and we will try to stitch up a partnership and capitalise from there on,” he said.

‘Bowler’s development is more bout individual’s hard work’

Normally someone who gives very cliched answers, the recluse Bumrah for once got out of his shell when a scribe asked how much of credit should Virat Kohli deserve considering that a bowler's development is directly linked with a captain's faith in his abilities?

“Bowler’s development also depends on how hard the bowler works as well,” Bumrah said.

Mohammed Shami bucked the trend during the first Test when he said that ‘credit should go to the individual who is actually putting in hard yards.’

(with PTI inputs)