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Bumrah, who was named Player of the Match, put on a clinic and led by example, securing match returns of 8/72, the fourth-best returns by an Indian captain in Tests.
Yashasvi Jaiswal blitzed with the bat, Virat Kohli regained his form, all while Jasprit Bumrah led the way with the ball at Perth as India secured a historic 295-run win over Australia in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Monday.
Following a humiliating 0-3 whitewash earlier to New Zealand, and missing Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shubman Gill, India were under immense pressure.
The odds were stacked onto the Indians even more after a disastrous first innings with the bat. Yet, led by the leader Bumrah, India rallied together to dismantle the hosts at ease by Day 4.
“We were put under pressure initially, but the way we responded after that, I am very proud of it,” stated a joyous Bumrah.
The pitch was a topic of conversation every single day, as it underwent tremendous change through the days of play: from being a pacer’s paradise to a batter’s blissful respite.
Bumrah though learnt from the past, stating that his prior experience of having played here back in 2018 proved to be fundamental in their understanding of the changing nature.
“We played a Test match here in 2018. So, we knew what to expect. The pitch starts soft and then gets quicker.”
Conditions can differ, and players may change. But for Bumrah, the most important thing is to ensure that the team never loses faith in thir own abilities, if they aim to win.
“On a given day, experience does matter in dealing with such conditions. But more so, if you have faith, then you can do something special.”
India surely did something special indeed, having notched up their second-biggest win against Australia today at Perth with a margin of 295 runs, a feat only eclipsed by their outing at Mohali in 2008 where they won by 320 runs.
Bumrah, who was named Player of the Match, put on a clinic and led by example, securing match returns of 8/72, the fourth-best returns by an Indian captain in Tests.
But, it was an all-round effort that was compounded by the stellar batting showcases from young gun Yashasvi Jasiwal, who notched 161 runs in the second innings, and their talisman batter Virat Kohli. who brought up his 30th Test century, that led India to the promised land.
“We couldn’t have asked for anything else. It was his best Test innings probably,” Bumrah lauded the young opener.
“I also didn’t see him (Virat Kohli) out of form at all. On challenging wickets, it’s hard to judge. But, he was looking good in the nets.”