After claiming a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the opening Test against England at Leeds on Sunday, veteran Indian seamer Jasprit Bumrah reflected on missed catching opportunities off his bowling and emphasised the importance of moving on during the game.
Bumrah’s impressive figures of 5/83 in 24.4 overs came despite three dropped catches — Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook — all put down by Yashasvi Jaiswal. He had also dismissed Brook for a duck, but that delivery was later deemed a no-ball.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Bumrah said, "Just for a second (there's disappointment on dropped catches), but you cannot sit and cry about it. You have to move on with the game. I try not to take it too far in my head and just forget it. A lot of them are new to the game, and for the first time, it’s hard to see the ball here. Nobody is dropping catches intentionally — it’s part and parcel of the game. They will learn from it. I don’t want to create a scene and put more pressure on them, like kicking the ball or something."
In an almost lone-warrior effort, Bumrah took 5/83 at an economy rate of 3.36. This marked his 10th five-wicket haul in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries — the first Indian ever to reach that milestone.
Two more five-wicket hauls in SENA would take him past Pakistan legend Wasim Akram (11). This was also Bumrah’s 12th five-wicket haul in away Tests, equalling the tally of former India captain Kapil Dev.
When asked why he declined the Indian Test captaincy, Bumrah said he wanted to prioritise his physical well-being and continue contributing as a player.
"There was nothing major about the captaincy. I want to take care of my body. I spoke to the people who performed my surgery and those who look after my fitness. I don’t want to let the team down. As a leader, I would have to be there for every match, and if I’m not playing, it wouldn’t be fair to the team. There should be continuity. I want to contribute as a player whenever I’m available. Nothing is bigger than Indian cricket and winning matches, and I felt it was the right call," he said.
Commenting on the pitch, Bumrah added, "Currently, the wicket is good to bat on. I don’t see any demons. It’s a little two-paced, which we’ve noticed. There could be swing — you expect that in Test cricket — but so far there’s been no major deviation or funny business. We would like to post a big total and give ourselves a cushion."
On England batter Harry Brook’s 99 in the first innings, Bumrah said it was fate that denied him a century and praised the young batter’s versatility.
"Fate decided 99 for him. He’s an interesting batter and played very well. He assessed the conditions smartly and backs his game. He gives you the impression he can go aggressive, but he can also shut shop and negotiate if you're bowling a good spell. We’ll try to counter him better in the next innings."
An entertaining day of Test cricket — mostly dominated by England — ended with India holding a 96-run lead at the close of play on Day 3 in Leeds.
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