It was another special day for Jasprit Bumrah and India in Southampton. The right-arm pacer got rid of Keaton Jennings in only his second over on Day 1 of the ongoing fourth Test with a dream delivery which swirled in after pitching and then accounted for Jonny Bairstow and Stuart Broad.
He showed his endurance too after having been asked to bowl an extended opening spell which lasted for well over an hour. However, the bowler himself played down his achievements and acknowledged the fact that he was just trying to execute a plan.
"Whenever you get a wicket, it's very good. Whenever a plan works, it is a good feeling. Dream delivery I don't know about that, but it's a good sign when you get an early wicket. I'm very happy," Bumrah said on Thursday, August 30.
'That's not a new ball'
The delivery which everyone was speaking about was the one which dismissed Jennings. The English opener shaped up to leave the delivery, but the ball pitched and decked back in and pinned the left-hander right in front even as he was not allowing to play any stroke.
"That's not a new ball. I have the in-swinger as well (to the left-hander), I have the out-swinger for the right-hander. I bowled that to Chris Gayle in the World T20 semi-final. When you have too many options, you don't want to use all of them in a single day. Whenever you feel that option is suitable, you use it," Bumrah said.
Speaking about his own game, the seam bowler said that he always tries to add new things in order to have more option, which helps him be in better space during match conditions.
England were reduced to 86 for 6 before a defiant partnership between Moeen Ali and Sam Curran and then between Curran and Broad pushed their total to 246. Bumrah said that the ball did less as it got old and also praised young Curran for playing a waiting game.
"If you'd told us in the morning we'd get them out for 250, we'd have taken that. We had them at 80/5, but they played well as well. We were trying, but as the day progressed, the wicket also gradually got slower," he added.