Bumrah backs under-performing Indian bowling unit after giving away close to 450 runs in the first innings.
Bumrah backs his fellow pacers after another lackluster performance with the ball in Brisbane.
Australia achieved two significant first-innings totals: 337 in Adelaide, which put them ahead by 157, and 445 in Brisbane, when they were only able to extract 76 runs at a rate of 2.61 per over from Bumrah while losing six wickets. However, they made up for it by dismissing Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep, and Mohammed Siraj for 257 runs at a run-rate of 3.88 and the cost of four wickets.
“See, we don’t as a team point fingers at each other and we don’t want to get into that mindset where we are pointing fingers at each other [and say] that ‘you should do this, you should do that’.
“Obviously, we, as a team, are going through a transition where new players are coming here and it’s not the easiest place to play cricket. Over here, it’s a different atmosphere with this wicket being a different challenge. So yeah, we’re not looking at that.
“Obviously, as a bowling unit, as I said, we are in transition, so it’s my job to help the others. I have played a little more than them, so I am trying to help them. But again, everyone will learn through it, will get better and eventually will find different ways. So this is the journey that you’ll have to go through.”
After two days of play, India is 51 for 4, 394 runs behind Australia. In the series, Bumrah recorded his second five-for. In the three games thus far, he has taken 18 wickets at an average of 11.72. Siraj, who has taken 11 wickets at an average of 25 and has been a target for the audience ever since he sent Travis Head packing in the previous Test, is his closest ally.
“We have had conversations but this was the conversation he had with me before we came [to Australia],” Bumrah said of Siraj. “I think when we came here in Perth, as well as the last game, he looked in very good spirits. He was bowling well and he has picked up a fair few of the wickets. In this game, I think I’ll give him credit that he had a little bit of a niggle but he still kept on bowling and still helped the team because he knew if he goes inside and he doesn’t bowl, then that team will go under pressure. So I think he has got a great attitude and he has got a fighter spirit that the team loves.
“In terms of wickets and all, some days you will bowl well, the wickets will come as I spoke to him before and some days you will not bowl very well but the wickets will follow. So it is all money in the bank, that is the conversation that I have had with him.
“You keep focusing on your stuff, things that you can control, keep running in, keep having a smile on his face. You wanted to play Test cricket, you are doing that. Your family is really proud of you.”