Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has revealed about fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled three overs with the new ball in T20I cricket. Gambhir said the decision to use Bumrah in the powerplay was part of a broader strategy to establish an aggressive approach with both bat and ball.
Gambhir used Bumrah for three overs inside the powerplay in recent matches. The right-arm fast bowler was last seen in action in the five-match T20 series against Australia, where he took three wickets in three innings at an economy rate of 6.58. The Men in Blue won the series 2–1, with two matches being abandoned.
Bowling to Jasprit Bumrah for three overs in the powerplay… – Gautam Gambhir
In a video released by BCCI, Gautam Gambhir talked about the team’s strategy in T20 cricket. He said it was a bold move to use Jasprit Bumrah for three overs in the powerplay to make India an all-round, attacking team.
Gambhir said, “I think a lot of people see this T20 team as a very aggressive batting lineup. For me, having Jasprit bowl three of the first six overs was an even more aggressive option with the ball. We don’t want to be a team that is only known as an aggressive batting line-up. We want to be known as an aggressive team overall.”
It really worked well for us because Jasprit Bumrah was bowling… – Gautam Gambhir
The head coach revealed that he first implemented Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling in three overs in the powerplay during the Asia Cup. Gambhir said this allowed spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav to work more freely in the middle overs.
“No one has ever bowled to Jasprit for three out of the first six overs. We wanted to go down that path, see how it goes and where it takes us in the future,” Gambhir said.
“I thought in the Asia Cup, it worked really well for us because bowling the first three overs to Jasprit often helps us win the powerplay. Then, with the two wicket-taking options in the middle, Varun and Kuldeep, it gives them the freedom to bowl aggressively and take wickets.”
I thought it was a very aggressive approach – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir said that the team’s aim is to be aggressive in both batting and bowling. He said the mentality of being in the moment and adapting to whatever is happening on the field defines the team’s new approach.
Gambhir said, “That was one of the reasons behind the move. I thought it was a very aggressive approach, not only with the bat but also with the ball. That’s the way we want to play the game, focusing on where we are at the moment rather than thinking about what might happen in the 17th or 18th over. You play the game by staying in the present because no one knows what will happen in the future. We see, we play what we see.”
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