What an opening spell from Arshdeep Singh.
He speaks about the wicket after the game, and welcomes Bumrah into the 100-wicket club in T20Is.
“The thought process was simple – just run in, use whatever assistance the wicket had, and try to give the team early breakthroughs. There was help on the surface if you hit the seam hard – sometimes extra bounce, sometimes a bit of movement. So the plan was just to stay disciplined and get as much out of the pitch as possible.
Adjusting lengths happens pretty quickly out there. I bowled full and got a wicket, then bowled full again, and it went for four, so that reminder came immediately. Then I dragged the length back, picked up another wicket, bowled full again, and got hit again. So the learning curve was happening ball by ball.
You don’t get too much time to think – the pitch tells you what to do. It feels great that Bumrah joined the 100-wicket club too today, so I congratulated him and welcomed him to the club with a smile.
Bowling alongside him is always fun. As a group, when every bowler contributes and takes wickets, it makes life so much easier for the captain – he gets flexibility with match-ups, Powerplay overs, and plans.
You don’t always get T20 wickets that offer something for the fast bowlers, so it was important not to get carried away and stay patient with my areas. I’m happy with the performance, happy with how the group is bowling, and just enjoying the moment.”