'I asked him how to bowl on these wickets, how the ball behaves...': Gurnoor Brar thanks Bumrah
Birmingham: Young Indian left-arm pacer Gurnoor Brar has credited senior spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for helping him quickly decode English conditions, following a decisive opening spell that set up India's six-wicket victory over England in the first ODI at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old turned the game on its head by dismissing England openers Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell in the same over, triggering a collapse that saw the hosts slip from a comfortable 61/0 to 80/5. Though England fought back to post 258 thanks to Joe Root's unbeaten 76 and Liam Dawson's 68, India comfortably chased the target down in 45.2 overs. The chase was anchored by captain Shubman Gill's elegant 80 (before retiring hurt) and finished clinical by Axar Patel (57*) and Washington Sundar (52*) via an unbroken 102-run stand.
Speaking in a video released by the BCCI on X, Gurnoor explained how Bumrah’s mentorship during pre-match training paved the way for his success.
"I had heard that it was a lot of fun to play cricket in England, so I experienced it today, and it felt very good. During the two practice days, Jasprit bhai was bowling, and I asked him how to bowl on these wickets, how the ball behaves here, how the English batters attack, and what areas I should bowl in. He gave me a lot of inputs, which helped me a lot," Gurnoor said.
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Backing natural strengths
In addition to Bumrah's tactical advice, Gurnoor received simple, empowering instructions from head coach Gautam Gambhir and bowling coach Morne Morkel, who urged him not to overcomplicate his strategy.
"Both Gautam Sir and Morne Sir told me that what I had done in the Afghanistan series and what comes naturally to me was to keep repeating my lengths and stay consistent. I wasn't thinking too much. I just backed myself and challenged the batters."
Learning on the go
Gurnoor also highlighted how actively observing his senior teammates from mid-on during the match acted as a live masterclass in consistency.
"I was standing at mid-on while they were bowling and watching how they approached their spells, how the batters played them and how consistent they were with their line and length. They kept telling me ball by ball what I could do, so I just tried to keep hitting those areas."
The youngster closed by thanking Bumrah for an outstanding, acrobatic boundary catch to dismiss the dangerous Ben Duckett.
"As soon as the ball went in the air, I thought it would go for six. But it was a brilliant catch. It's very difficult on the boundary because you don't know where to keep your feet. He judged it really well and caught it. I want to thank Bumrah for that second wicket."(ANI)