India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has come a long way after making his debut in January 2016. He had a memorable last year, claiming 30 wickets in 23 ODIs and picking up 12 wickets in 11 T20Is. Moreover, Bumrah’s bowling exploits in ODIs ensured his place in the ICC ODI Team of the Year 2017 and more importantly he received his dream Test cap during the South Africa tour earlier this year.
Featuring in his maiden Test series, Bumrah claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in the third Test at Wanderers and led a foundation for India’s historic 63-run victory over the Proteas in January. The speedster had scalped 14 wickets at an average of 25.21 during the hard-fought Test series that the Virat Kohli and company lost by 2-1.
Having suffered a thumb injury in the T20 series against Ireland last month, Bumrah was unable to take part in the recently concluded T20I and ODI series against England. Although Bumrah has been picked in the India squad for the first three Tests against England, he will only be considered for selection from the second Test onwards.
In an exclusive interview with Mumbai Indians’ official website, Bumrah recently opened up about his love for the traditional format of the game.
“I always wanted to play Test cricket. I was happy when I finally got to play it in South Africa. The start also went well. I always loved Test cricket and I rate it very highly,” Jasprit Bumrah quoted.
“I enjoy playing each and every format but for me, Test cricket is at the paramount level because I feel everything is tested at that level,” he added.
Bumrah, who is currently ranked as a No. 1 bowler in ICC ODI rankings, is also determined to prove his mettle in red-ball cricket.
“Hopefully, whenever I play more, I’ll be able to do well and gain more confidence. So that will reflect on other formats as well. I don’t have any personal goals. I take it one day at a time,” he remarked.
During the overseas tours, Bumrah doesn’t remain restrained to cricket only. The 24-year-old explore the country he visits.
“You look to enjoy the country, you look to see the place. That is how you get to know about the culture of the place and you eventually start enjoying the country. It then reflects on your performance as well,” Bumrah asserted.
“Whenever I go to a new country, I always plan in advance. Before visiting the country, I have a look at a few videos. What works over there. What the home team does over there. It is very important for long tours to enjoy the country and see the places. So that’s the basic thing that I look to follow,” he concluded.
The much-awaited Test series between India and England will commence on August 1 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Lord’s (Aug 09-Aug 13) will stage the second Test while Trent Bridge (Aug 18-Aug 22), Rose Bowl (Aug 30-Sep 03) and The Oval (Sep 07-Sep 11) will host the third, fourth and fifth Test respectively.
India squad for first three Tests against England:
Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, M Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Karun Nair, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur.
