![Gautam Gambhir breaks silence [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1762836591374_Gautam_Gambhir.jpg?type=hq)
Gautam Gambhir breaks silence [Source: AFP]
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has finally explained why Jasprit Bumrah, the country’s top fast bowler, was used mostly in the powerplay instead of the death overs during the recent Asia Cup.
Many fans were surprised when Bumrah bowled three of his four overs early in the innings, but Gambhir revealed that it was part of a bigger plan to make India an all-round aggressive team, not just with the bat, but in every part of the game.
Gambhir wants Team India to be known as aggresive team
In an interview with the BCCI, Gambhir said that people often see this T20 team as having a very attacking batting lineup. However, he wanted India to be known as an aggressive team overall, including in their bowling strategy.
According to him, using Bumrah heavily at the start was a bold and attacking move that helped India dominate opponents right from the first over.
"A lot of people relate to this T20 side as a very aggressive batting lineup. For me I think bowling Jassi 3 in the first six was an even more aggressive option with the ball. We don't want to be a side which is only known as an aggressive batting order, we want to be a side which should be known as an aggressive side overall," he said.
Gambhir explained that the plan was to test this new strategy in the Asia Cup and see how it worked in real match situations.
"We wanted to go that way as well (Bumrah bowling three in PP), we wanted to see how it pans out, we wanted to see where it takes us in future as well, and I thought that Asia Cup, it has really worked well for us, because bowling Jassi in the first three obviously makes us win the powerplay most of the time," he added.
Although Bumrah’s overall statistics in the tournament, seven wickets in 5 matches with an economy rate of 7.43, may not look extraordinary, Gambhir emphasised that his real contribution was in setting the tone early and giving India control of the match from the start.
However, in the recent five-match T20I series against Australia, Bumrah once again took charge with the new ball, leading India’s attack in the powerplay overs. Over the course of three innings, he picked up three wickets while maintaining an impressive economy rate of 6.58 runs per over.
Notably, Bumrah, meanwhile, is set to return to action in the upcoming Test series against South Africa, starting Friday at the famous Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
