Robin Uthappa Analyzes Jasprit Bumrah's Performance Against Australia
Former India batter Robin Uthappa shared his thoughts on Jasprit Bumrah's rare off day during the second T20I at the MCG. He pointed out a recurring pattern where Bumrah becomes slightly wayward when attempting too hard to pick wickets early in the game.
Bumrah's Struggle and Late Strikes
In the match, Bumrah struggled with the new ball, failing to take wickets during the powerplay. He took two wickets in his final over, but by then, it was too late to change the course of the game. India was bowled out for a modest score of 125.
Australia's Aggressive Response
Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head immediately applied pressure with an attacking approach after Bumrah’s early spells. They put together a 51-run partnership before Head was dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy. Despite this, Australia maintained momentum and comfortably chased the target in 13.2 overs.
Uthappa on India's Bowling Discipline
"When we were bowling after scoring 125, the start was very important. If we had picked up two or three wickets in the first three or four overs, the game could have been closer because we have quality spinners in the middle overs. I felt we were probably trying too hard to pick up wickets."
Uthappa reflected that India’s bowlers lost discipline early, straying from their plans in a desperate attempt to take wickets, which cost them crucial control in the match.
Summary
Uthappa’s assessment highlights Bumrah’s tendency to lose rhythm when under pressure to take early wickets, contributing to India’s struggle in limiting Australia’s chase.
Author’s summary: Uthappa critiques Bumrah’s over-aggressiveness in bowling after a low total, suggesting maintaining discipline is key for India’s bowling effectiveness.