Sri Lanka vs India, 2017: Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah speak about the third ODI
What's the story?
On Sunday, India clinched a 3-0 lead in the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka by defeating the hosts by six wickets. Two Indian stars who shone the brightest in India's dominant performance in the third ODI were Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah.
In a video for the official channel of Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), Rohit Sharma was seen interviewing Bumrah in which he praised the seamer for his five-wicket haul. "In the last match, the wicket was a little slow so the ball was gripping at that time. Over here when we started to bowl, there was a little bit of seam movement with the new ball. We were trying to extract that and use it to our advantage."
"Bowling on good line and length and trying to mix our own variations with the ball. We were trying to hit good areas which in turn fetched us good results. If you have many weapons, you don't use all of them. You use two or three techniques to bring variations. Especially when playing for India there is a lot of pressure. But I don't think about that pressure and try to enjoy my game."
Rohit Sharma also talked about his century in the third match, "We knew one big partnership was required. The idea was to try and create a partnership. MS Dhoni has been such an experienced player, he has bailed the team from a situation like this number of times. We wanted to create a steady partnership and take the game until the end. We know if we go till the 46th or 47th over, we will win the game."
In case you didn't know...
India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the third ODI and registered a 3-0 lead in the series. Bumrah took his maiden five-wicket haul and dismissed the Islanders for a paltry score.
In reply, India lost a couple of early wickets too but Sharma was rock steady on one end of the crease. The Indian opener smashed a hundred and remained unbeaten. He was well supported by Dhoni on the other side and together, they guided team India home.
The details
Talking about Bharat Arun as the bowling coach for the Indian team, Bumrah said that the former is very helpful. Bumrah was with Arun even during his U-19 days which is why he understands the skill that Bumrah has at his disposal.
He also said that there are no ego issues in the team and everyone is happy about each other's success. This works as a great boost for the morale of the team members and gives them moments to cherish.
Bumrah also revealed that he enjoyed his break post the ICC Champions Trophy. He stated that it is always good to receive a break from the national duty when the players can spend some time with their families.
According to Bumrah, breaks help the players in building their strength again. Whenever the players come back from a break, they feel refreshed and perform well. Sharma also agreed that the breaks help the players in reviving their game.
What's next?
India will next take on Sri Lanka in the fourth ODI scheduled to take place at R. Premadasa stadium on 31st August. Virat Kohli and his men will look forward to registering another win in the series whereas Sri Lanka will aim at making a comeback and salvaging some pride.
Author's take
Both these players were the heroes of India's last encounter with Sri Lanka. They have rightly attributed their success to their teammates as well.
This is the first time when Bumrah visited Sri Lanka and his unfamiliarity with the pitch was bound to pose challenges for him. However, he clearly stated that the other members of the team helped him in the acclimatising process. It is incredible on the part of the senior players to extend this kind of support to the young players.