Top 5 bowling performances from Week 2 of 2023 World Cup ft. Jasprit Bumrah
Week 2 of the 2023 World Cup has just concluded, and it was filled with some scintillating bowling performances, including Jasprit Bumrah's 2/19 against arch-rivals Pakistan.
The second week of the ongoing quadrennial tournament saw two upsets take place, as Afghanistan trumped England and Netherlands got the better of South Africa. Generally, in such surprising results, the bowlers play a huge part.
With that being said, let's take a look at the top 5 bowling performances from Week 2 of the 2023 World Cup, featuring Jasprit Bumrah's outing against Pakistan.
#5 Lockie Ferguson - 3/49 against Bangladesh
Lockie Ferguson arguably had the best outing in Week 2 among any bowler, as he was the standout bowler for New Zealand in both matches. He picked up three wickets each against Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Although he just conceded 19 runs against the Afghans, two of his wickets came in the latter stages of the innings when the match was already in the Kiwis' favor. On the other hand, he picked up the crucial wickets of Tanzid Hasan, Mehidy Hasan, and Shakib Al Hasan against the Bangla Tigers.
#4 Logan van Beek - 3/60 against South Africa
Logan van Beek had a huge role to play in the Netherlands' famous win over South Africa, who were previously unbeaten in the tournament. The 33-year-old wasn't economical by any stretch of the imagination, but all his wickets were essential.
Whenever the Proteas had stitched together some sort of partnership, Dutch skipper Scott Edwards gave the ball to Logan van Beek. He picked up Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, and Keshav Maharaj, the three top-run getters for South Africa on the day.
#3 Mujeeb Ur Rahman - 3/51 against England
Mujeeb Ur Rahman and his partner in crime, Rashid Khan, were the architects of another huge upset in Week 2 of the 2023 World Cup, as Afghanistan beat defending champions England by 69 runs. The 22-year-old not only picked up three wickets but also scored 28 off just 16 balls.
Rashid was the more economical one of the two spinners, as both picked up three scalps each. However, Mujeeb's dismissals included more important batters. He got rid of Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Chris Woakes as his side registered their first win of the 2023 World Cup.
#2 Adam Zampa - 4/47 against Sri Lanka
Adam Zampa picked up four wickets against Sri Lanka in Lucknow in what might turn out to be the turning point for Australia in the 2023 World Cup. It was a much-needed win for Pat Cummins' men after losing their opening two encounters.
The leg-spinner spun webs around the Lankan batters as he registered three LBW dismissals. Skipper Kusal Mendis was caught by David Warner off Zampa's bowling, before Sadeera Samarawickrama, Chamika Karunaratne, and Maheesh Theekshana were all scalped by the wily spinner.
#1 Jasprit Bumrah - 2/19 against Pakistan
Jasprit Bumrah may not have picked up the most wickets on the list, but his two wickets were very impactful as they helped India register a huge win over Pakistan in the 2023 World Cup. Moreover, Jasprit Bumrah's spell was extremely economical.
He was brought back into the attack by Rohit Sharma at the right time, as he disturbed Mohammad Rizwan's stumps in fine fashion. Jasprit Bumrah also bowled Shadab Khan later on to finish his spell with four wickets for just 19 runs in seven overs, on a pitch where his fellow Indian pace bowlers were going for 5-7 runs per over.