There Was No Grip On Wicket So I Experimented, Says Jasprit Bumrah After Taking Four-Fer vs Bangladesh

Pacer Jasprit Bumrah was the most successful Indian bowler on the tricky Chepauk surface as he returned with figures of 4-50 to bowl out Bangladesh for 149 in the ongoing first Test at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday. Bumrah revealed he experimented with his deliveries as his stock ones were not yielding any results on the second day of the contest. The pacer shared how he set up Mushfiqur Rahim's dismissal when there was no assistance from the pitch.

"The ball had become a little old, there wasn't a lot of movement, but there was some spongy bounce on the wicket. So, I was trying to assess my options because when I tried to bowl a little fuller, there wasn't much deviation. I was just trying to think about how I could make run-scoring difficult. That's what I focused on, and luckily, I got the outside edge," Bumrah told JioCinema after stumps on Day 2.

Bumrah also discussed the variations he had to introduce due to the conditions. "I had no other option because when I tried to bowl a length ball, the ball wasn't doing anything, and the ball wasn't reversing either. So, I had to try something because, as a bowler, you have to experiment when there's not much happening. There was no grip on the wicket, so I used one of those tactics that I've used in domestic cricket as well. It worked today, and that experience helped me out."

He went on to share insights into his use of bouncers in the match, saying, "In Test cricket, I don't usually bowl as many bouncers. Given the weather was harsh and I'm just getting back into Test cricket, I had to make adjustments. The ball had become wet because of sweat, and the seam was also wet. So, I had to use different options to get a wicket and make run-scoring difficult.