Bumrah and Rohit: Fire and ice in India
After a fire and brimstone encounter on the field, there are fears that the much-anticipated India-Pakistan match in New York will end on a low score. With Rohit Sharma emerging as captain, it proved to be a low-scoring affair with India on the right side of the result. If Jasprit Bumrah is an Indian hero with his game-changing bowling, the Indian skipper is an unsung hero. The only mistake the manager made was not calling the shot correctly.
It is not often that India field only three professional batsmen against their arch-rivals - Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit himself - and the rest are wicketkeepers, all-rounders or professional bowlers. Actually it's the same team against Ireland but Pakistan is not Ireland. A little more batting power may be needed against weak batting on dangerous wickets. But the leader has the courage to defend what he believes in.
It was not just their batting decisions but also their bowling choices that enabled India to beat Pakistan, allowing India to take their first lead in the T20 tournament. Babar Azam's team looks superior with 35 points out of 40 but the leader is trailing the strength of the field. It allows the team to stay focused and keep changes top of mind. Defending a total of 119 caps is a rarity and the most impressive performance of all caps defended by India in the T20I format.
As Pakistan began to pursue them, the sun came out from behind the clouds and the chances were set for India. The next move is a good one from Shaheen Afridi & Co. He disappeared in the morning mist and darkness, with the arrival of the Indian bowlers. However, thanks to deft placement and timely changes, the Indian skipper confirmed that the target of 120 was bigger than that.
"I would say 140 is a really good score in this match. India didn't score that, so I think we won the match. We know the action game will be tight but sometimes we see things like this. The game is interesting, it's not always about sixes and strikes, 230 and 240 run, you can make the action play attractively in 120 run runs. So I don't think it's bad for the game," said Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten.
He didn't say much but Rohit was sure the target was 140 and not 120. They had to overstep the boundaries which became their responsibility after the attack, but Rohit managed to do so. Axar Patel bowled eight to Fakhar Zaman and Imad Wasim, the two dangerous left-handed bowlers in the Pakistan squad, and conceded just nine, including four penalties. Jadeja and Axar together registered an economy rate of five in just four overs, barring one wicket.
Rohit bringing back Bumrah for the third time was hailed as a great moment. However, Aksa, who returned to second and fourth place in the last 16, proved that he is the same master. While Pakistan batsmen were expected to attack Aksa, Aksa conceded only two runs in the innings. Imad Wasim tried to cut him down three times but failed each time. At that crucial moment when Pakistan needed 37 runs from 30 balls for six wickets, Aksa's goal could have changed the momentum. Axar's accurate bowling and good delivery thwarted Pakistan's attempts to accelerate. India survived this important match and forced the Pakistani batsmen to take risks against the bowlers. A wicket fell in the next over.
Bumrah's third over was the turning point of the match. Waqar Younis emphasized on air that Bumrah's last two overs would decide the outcome of the match and his fears came true. Bumrah returned to play a decisive role and scored the first goal. Mohammad Rizwan, the mainstay of the Pakistan team and whose bowling is superb, has been left out. This was a genius move on the director's part. Bumrah could only concede three points in this match.
If that wasn't enough, Bumrah's performance in the 19th over was exemplary. Although Rohit was inclined to continue with his key batsman after Rizwan's collapse, Rohit carefully retained him in the crucial 19th over. While Pakistan claimed 21 runs from two overs, Bumrah conceded just 3 runs and took one wicket. This is pure powder. Ardeep Singh saved 18 runs in the final over. Apart from the stress of the bowlers, there is only one winner at this stage. Ashdeep hasn't changed.
Rohit's reading of the wicket turned out to be brilliant. While the ball comes off the field very well, he slows down when the ball comes out. He adjusted his bowling changes accordingly. Changes in batting order were also noticed. Going beyond tradition, he promoted Aksa to the rankings by explaining left and right strike tactics together. The decision paid off and Axar steadied the innings and after falling early in the first over, he joined left-hander Rishabh Pant to make 39 runs for the third wicket (19 points for both batches).
Rohit is undoubtedly lucky to have good players like Pant and Hardik Pandya in his team. While Pant showed his adventurous spirit with 42 runs, Pandya also contributed greatly with the ball. In his fourth league game, his 2-for-24 numbers were invaluable.
