New York, Jun 10 (IANS): In the pulsating clash between two arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah came to the rescue and scripted one of the finest comebacks in T20Is as Men in Blue beat Babar Azam's side by six runs at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (as per IST).
Bumrah's 3-14 spell not only took India over the line but also clinched the Player of the Match award while defending the team's second-lowest total in the T20 World Cup. Interestingly, it was also India's lowest total that they successfully defended in men's T20Is.
The 30-year-old pacer was introduced in the third over of the game and ended up taking the wicket of Babar Azam in his first spell with the ball. Revealing his game plan, Bumrah said, "I tried to keep it simple because I thought that the wicket did get better and the swing was less, so I tried to hit as much as I can. I tried to be clear and focus on the execution, so I am very happy, and the ball did come out really well."
The fast bowler bowled four overs including the most important wicket of Mohammad Rizwan with a delivery in the slot which ended up hitting the stumps.
"It feels really good. We felt a little underpar, so we had to be really disciplined with what we were trying to do. I'm very happy with the win that we got," said Bumrah in the post-match interview.
"It didn’t feel like we are not playing in India. The cheer is always appreciated, and the people have really loved us, so we are very happy with the support we got, and that gives us energy in the field as well," he added.
On his key to staying focused in the other games, he said, "Focus on the now. We played two games and played really good cricket. Try to get as much confidence going forward as well. Nothing changes, be it any game—you stick to your processes and come out and try your best."
India will next take on co-host USA on Wednesday, June 12 in New York. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is streaming live and free on mobile on Disney+ Hotstar.