Jasprit Bumrah's 3 best spells in 2023 World Cup
It's been less than two days since India's painful defeat in the 2023 World Cup final to Australia. While different fans are coping with the defeat in different ways, what shouldn't be lost on them is to appreciate the near-perfect tournament the hosts had, and the 10 dominating wins that came before the final.
There were six Indian players in the official ICC Team of the Tournament, and Jasprit Bumrah was one of them. The Indian seamer was the very definition of accuracy and control, and he was unlucky not to pick up more wickets than he did (20 in 11 matches).
He had the third-best economy rate in the entire World Cup (4.06), and the top two bowled in only one match. For a seamer who bowls during the powerplay and at the death, to have those numbers is something special. Let's look back and appreciate Bumrah's three best spells at the World Cup.
#3 3/32 in 6.5 overs vs England
The match against England was arguably the only game apart from the final where the Indian batting lineup wasn't up to the mark, but the bowlers saved the day in that match at Lucknow. Batting first, India could score only 229, courtesy Rohit Sharma's 87, but Bumrah and Mohammed Shami bailed India out.
England got off to a great start as Mohammed Siraj couldn't find his radar with the new ball. With the score at 26/0 in four overs, India needed something special to break through, and that's what Bumrah provided, castling Dawid Malan and trapping Joe Root plumb in front, off consecutive deliveries.
He was unplayable for most of the match and wrapped things up for India by sending a yorker in to dismiss Mark Wood and get India the win. Bumrah finished with 3/32 in 6.5 overs.
#2 2/19 in 7 overs vs Pakistan
Jasprit Bumrah's two deliveries to get the crucial wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan in the match against Pakistan will go down as one of the best in the 2023 Cricket World Cup. The Indian bowlers made a tremendous comeback to peg Pakistan back, and while Siraj castled Babar Azam to get the first breakthrough, Bumrah's double strike absolutely knocked the wind out of Pakistan's sails.
He bowled Rizwan with a peach of an off-cutter before getting Shadab Khan out with an in-angler in what was almost an action replay. He finished the match with figures of 2/19 in seven overs, excellent figures to have in such a big game.
#1 4/39 in 10 overs vs Afghanistan
Afghanistan may seem like the 'easiest' opposition on paper on this list, but in reality, they gave plenty of value to their wickets and didn't throw them away at this World Cup, showing good application and cricketing smarts at the crease. That, combined with a Delhi wicket that offered precious little to the bowlers, meant a frustrating afternoon under the sun for India as they batted first.
However, Jasprit Bumrah was there with the breakthroughs for India, preventing Afghanistan from making the most of the launchpad they had set up in the death overs with a masterful bowling display with the old ball.
After picking up India's first wicket by getting Ibrahim Zadran to nick off, Bumrah kept things tight in his second spell before choosing destruction at the death. The three most attacking and dangerous batters in the Afghanistan lineup, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, and Rashid Khan, all fell to Bumrah's bowling as they finished with a sub-par total of 273 that India chased down rather easily.
Needless to say, Bumrah's spell of 4/39 in 10 overs made all the difference in this match.