KANPUR: India’s star pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, is hopeful that his compatriot Akash Deep will continue to go from strength to strength after their “special win” in the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur on Tuesday.
Despite losing more than two days of play due to rain and a wet outfield, India players strived hard, pushed for success, and stamped their authority with a 7-wicket win on a sunny day in Kanpur.
Throughout the series, India’s mainstay bowlers had their say whenever the situation demanded it. But it was the young Akash Deep brought heat in Kanpur, swung his way to the headlines by making his presence felt with the SG ball in his hand.
Bumrah had firsthand experience of witnessing Akash spread his charm against a resilient Bangladesh setup. The crafty pacer revealed that a lot of “interesting conversations” took place between them as Akash came up to him, seeking advice before enchanting the spectators with his mesmerising spells.
“He (Akash Deep) comes up to me quite a lot before a spell and asks me ‘what is happening and what should I do’. We have had a lot of interesting conversations, and the energy he brings on the ball, he gives his best on the field, and when he’s bowling, he has got a lot of heart, and that is a good sign for us going forward. Hopefully, he goes from strength to strength,” Bumrah said after India’s famous win over Bangladesh.
In the two Tests, Akash, who constantly hit the deck, swung the ball effortlessly and ended the series with five wickets.
The Green Park surface turned its nature throughout the five days of play, with the weather constantly dictating the flow of the game. Once the rain subsided and the sun shone brightly over Kanpur, it became a tricky situation for the pacers to extract benefits from the surface.
Yet for Bumrah, when the pitch turned against his natural style of play, it was a challenge that he relished taking on.
“I like that challenge when you go against your nature and conditions are not favourable. The wicket is not favourable. How do you get answers? All of these battles I really like. We have played a lot of cricket in India. You understand the nature of the wicket, and the SG ball sometimes reverses as well, but sometimes, because of the humidity, you are not able to keep the ball dry, so you find solutions and discuss it with other players as well,” Bumrah added.
“It was a test for our fitness as well, as you see how hot the weather is, bowling every day and trying to create an impact, a really special win. You use your experience, but it is easier said than done because you have played a lot of cricket and played on different surfaces. You find solutions. This wicket was completely different to what we got in Chennai, so we quickly communicated with the others and tried to find the best option,” he noted.
In the end, as India went past their limits and redefined the way a Test is supposed to be played, Bumrah stood at the top as the joint-leading wicket-taker in the series with 11 wickets.
As he continues to make the ball obey his will, Bumrah has earned the title of magician for himself. However, the experienced pacer is not focused on such adjectives. He is just delighted with the way India performed to subtly complete the series sweep over Bangladesh.
“It feels really good. I don’t think about all those adjectives (being called a magician). It is really good to get this win; we had lost a couple of days,” Bumrah said.
Following the conclusion of the series, India will engage in a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh and then host New Zealand for three Tests this month.
