IND vs ENG 1st ODI: Jasprit Bumrah wants to keep THIS close after record haul at Oval

Team India vice-captain and pacer Jasprit Bumrah was the star of India’s 10-wicket win over 50-over World Cup champions England at the Oval on Tuesday (July 12). Bumrah picked up a career-best haul of 6/19 to bundle out the hosts for just 110 in the first game.

A few hours after his record haul, Bumrah took to Twitter and shared a picture of himself with the match-ball. “Keeping this close,” Bumrah tweeted with a medal emoji as the match-ball was nothing short of a medal for the paceman.

Keeping this close pic.twitter.com/Bv5Q7haJL3 — Jasprit Bumrah (@Jaspritbumrah93) July 12, 2022

After producing a match-winning performance in the first ODI against England at The Oval on Tuesday, Bumrah said he got the swing from the very first ball, adding that they don’t need to try a lot when the ball is doing something in their favour. With the conditions helping the bowlers, Bumrah came up with one of the most devastating spells by an Indian bowler, claiming 6/19 as England were bundled out for 110. Skipper Rohit Sharma (76 not out) and fellow opener Shikhar Dhawan (31 not out) raced to 114 for no loss in 18.4 overs as India crushed England by 10 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

“When I bowled the first ball, I found some swing and we tried to exploit that. When it doesn’t swing, I have to pull my length back. When the ball is doing something you don’t have to try a lot. When the wicket is flat your accuracy is tested. It is a good place to be when the ball is swinging. As soon as Shami bowled the first over, we had a conversation to go fuller,” Bumrah said during the post-match presentation.

The 28-year-old pacer said getting such assistance from the pitch was rare in a white-ball match and they exploited the conditions. “When there’s swing and seam movement, it is very exciting in white-ball cricket to get that opportunity because you usually have to be defensive with the kind of pitches usually,” said Bumrah.

India had a dream start as Bumrah bowled a double-wicket maiden in the second over of the innings to rattle England. The pacer first troubled Jason Roy with a couple of deliveries swinging in sharply and then bowled one slightly wide and the batter ended up inside-edging it onto the stumps. Joe Root, who came to bat at No. 3 was troubled by some extra bounce as he outside-edged it to Rishabh Pant.

Bumrah picked his third wicket by getting rid of Bairstow. Liam Livingstone also departed for a duck after getting bowled by an in-swinging delivery from Bumrah. He also claimed wickets of David Willey and Brydon Carse to end up with brilliant figures of 7.2-3-19-6. Fellow-pacer Mohammed Shami claimed 3/31 and Bumrah said he told his pace partner that there will be days when he will also run through a side.

“Very happy for him, he gets a lot of wickets. I told him when he beats the bat, that there would be days when he’d run through the side,” the pacer said.

(with IANS inputs)