IND vs SA: Giving Attention To The Outside Noise Doesn't Really Help Me, States Jasprit Bumrah

Indian pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah said that he hasn’t done anything extraordinary in his excellent spell against South Africa in the series-decider match in Cape Town.

On Monday, Bumrah bagged his seventh five-wicket haul in the red-ball format as he returned with the figures of 5/42 in the first innings against South Africa.

Bumrah knocked opener Aiden Markram’s stumps on the second ball of the day to give India a great start. Bumrah had also dismissed South Africa’s hero at the Wanderers, Dean Elgar, at the end of Day 1.

The Indian speedster halted youngster Keegan Petersan’s great knock of 72 runs by inducing his outside edge that flew to Cheteshwar Pujara at the first slip.

Bumrah bowled a skiddy length delivery to Lungi Ngidi, who got a thick leading edge that landed safely in Ravichandran Ashwin’s hands at the covers.

Nothing extra special out of the ordinary: Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah completed another five-wicket haul at the same venue where he made his Test debut in 2018. South Africa’s innings folded up at 210 as India went in to bat in the second innings with a minuscule lead of 13 runs.

The Ahmedabad-born speedster said that he did nothing special in his bowling that helped India decimate the Proteas batting unit.

“Nothing extra special out of the ordinary, I was just focusing on what I had to do and I was trying to focus on my routines and processes, what I do basically before a Test match or whatever has to be done. I was trying to be in the present and focusing on what I had to do,” Bumrah said in his press conference after the day’s play.

Some days I would get wickets, some days somebody else would get wickets: Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings of Johannesburg where the hosts were successful in chasing an arduous score of 240. The Indian pacer conceded 70 runs from 17 overs as Markram, Petersen and Elgar negated him with some brilliant tactics of defence and shot selection.

Many pundits spoke about Bumrah’s performance in Johannesburg but the Indian pacer said that he doesn’t pay attention to the outside noise.

“There is always a lot of noise but the success of whatever comes is a by-product, so basically what we try to do is have a routine and try to follow that again and again and maybe create pressure as a bowling unit,” Bumrah said.

“Some days I would get wickets, some days somebody else would get wickets but we as a unit want to focus on our routine and we know what has worked for us. So trying to stick to our strengths and evolve our game around them.

“There will be doubters, there will be people who will be praising, but that is something that an individual has to decide. I try to focus on what I have to do. Whenever I have given attention to the outside noise, it doesn’t really help,” he added.

India lost both openers at the start of the second innings but skipper Virat Kohli (14*) and Cheteshwar Pujara (9*) stood firm at the crease as India gained a lead of 70 runs at the end of Day 2.

Also Read: IND vs SA: Jasprit Bumrah Is The Bowler South Africans Worry About Most – Sunil Gavaskar