"Hopefully, he has one of those off days" - Matthew Mott on Jasprit Bumrah ahead of IND vs ENG T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final
England head coach Matthew Mott has said Jasprit Bumrah will be massively on their focus during the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final against India in Guyana on Thursday, June 27. The 50-year-old hopes for the right-arm pacer to have an off day, so England players can capitalize on the same.
Bumrah has been one of the most economical bowlers in the tournament and India's linchpin. The right-arm pacer has claimed 11 wickets in only six matches, averaging 8.54 alongside an economy rate of only 4.08. He has also claimed two Player of the Match awards in this year's edition.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the massive semi-final, Mott said not giving wickets to Bumrah and scoring considerably well off him will go a long way in deciding the game for England. As quoted by The Guardian, he claimed:
"He’ll be a big part of our planning, any way we can nullify his influence on the game will go a long way. That’s something we’ve done well, taking our medicine against certain bowlers and then doubling down at the other end. There will be players who think they can take him, and times where we have to box clever. I don’t see too many flaws but hopefully, he has one of those off days that any bowler can have and we can capitalise on that."
Bumrah had missed the previous T20 World Cup where India met England in the semi-final and suffered a 10-wicket thrashing. However, the 50-over tournament saw the Ahmedabad-born cricketer register figures of 7.5-0-32-3.
"We’ve had to play most of this tournament from behind" - Matthew Mott
With Indian captain Rohit Sharma taking on the bowlers in the powerplay and playing aggressively, Mott feels it presents them with wicket-taking opportunities. He said:
"They definitely come out a lot harder in the powerplay with the bat. The way Rohit has led from the front is quite obvious for everyone to see. But that also presents a unique opportunity for our bowling attack to take early wickets. We’ve had to play most of this tournament from behind and with adversity. We’d love to throw that first punch, get in front and really hammer that home."
The defending champions were on the brink of a group-stage elimination, but have peaked at the right time.