Jasprit Bumrah created havoc on Day 1 of India’s first Test against South Africa at Kolkata’s famed Eden Gardens on Friday, November 14. He bowled with exceptional accuracy, finishing with an impressive 5/27 in 14 overs. Bumrah made life difficult for South African batters by giving almost no freebies and bowling five maiden overs during his spell.
This was Bumrah’s 16th five-wicket haul in his 51st Test. He presently has the most five-fors among active Indian red-ball players. Only Ravichandran Ashwin (37), Anil Kumble (35), Harbhajan Singh (25) and Kapil Dev (23), have more.
While the pitch had some inconsistent bounce, South Africa being bowled out for 159 in 55 overs was not warranted. It does, however, highlight Bumrah’s talent, as he once again shown that when he bowls at full throttle, he can destroy any opposition single-handedly.
After his exploits on the first day of the much-anticipated Test series, Bumrah stated that bowlers must be patient on such surfaces and fight the impulse to produce magic deliveries too frequently, since they may go awry, resulting in runs being leaked.
“In Test cricket, if you need success, you need to be patient. Especially on these pitches. Here, the outfield is quite fast and the wicket is hard. If you are very desperate here and try to bowl magic balls, you can be at risk of leaking runs,” Bumrah said after becoming the first fast bowler since Dale Steyn in 2006 to take a five-wicket haul with the red ball on Day 1 of a Test match in India.
“You have to control your temptations. You need to assess the run-scoring options for the opposition batter. Every ball won’t do magic here. There are some deliveries that cause trouble to the batters. You need to consistently bowl in good areas to get rewards. In Test cricket, your ability to remain patient will be tested. Only in a few matches will you get 6–7 wickets in heaps. In the majority, you need to keep bowling well. Sometimes you won’t get wickets even when you’re bowling well. But if you keep working hard, you will have days when wickets come,” he added.
While acknowledging that the pitch provided considerable help, Bumrah emphasized the importance of bowling discipline.
“Yes, this pitch has a bit of help. It’s not a dead wicket. But you need to be patient. If you’re off the mark, run-scoring can be quick. If you’re not disciplined, you will pay the price,” he said.
Jasprit Bumrah says judging right length is challenging in Tests
Jasprit Bumrah stated that bowling became easier as the ball grew older. He felt it was difficult to control the pronounced seam when the ball was firm and new.
“It’s a harder ball game. When the ball is new, the deviation will be a lot quicker. Once the ball softens, the deviation lessens and then your accuracy comes into play. When I bowled the first over, everything happened: the ball swung, it stayed low, it kicked high. It’s a little difficult to understand what the right length is. You keep bowling and keep figuring things out,” Bumrah said.
“For the first three or four balls, everything happened: one ball kicked, one kept low. Where do you bowl? Then you see, okay, this is what it’s shaping into. As the ball became a little softer, it settled down; the deviation wasn’t consistent. When the ball is nice and hard, the seam is pronounced and it will do a little more. Once it softens, it becomes slightly easier,” he added.
