India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Hero of India’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign, Jasprit Bumrah added another feather to his hat when he was on Tuesday named the ‘ICC Men’s Player of the Month for June’.

It was double delight for India as women’s team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was also named the ‘Women’s Player of the Month’ by the global body. Mandhana won her first ICC Women’s Player of the Month after playing a starring role in India’s sweep over South Africa in the ODI series last month.

Bumrah came out on top in the men’s vote from compatriot Rohit Sharma and Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Afghanistan, while Mandhana won the women’s award by overcoming England’s Maia Bouchier and Sri Lanka’s Vishmi Gunaratne.

Bumrah, who bagged 15 wickets to be adjudged the Player-of-the-Tournament in the T20 global showpiece last month, also claimed the Men’s Player of the Month accolade for June, the ICC announced.

“I am delighted to be named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for June,” Bumrah said in the ICC statement.

“It’s a special honour for me following a memorable few weeks spent in the USA and West Indies. We have had a lot to celebrate as a team, and I’m delighted to be able to add this personal accolade to the list.” The 30-year-old was at his dependable best in the USA and Caribbean and bowled at an average of 8.26, at an astonishing economy rate of 4.17.

He joined Virat Kohli (a two-time winner in his own right) as India players to claim the Men’s T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament award.

India were the first team to win the men’s T20 World Cup without losing a game all tournament.

Barring a washout against Canada in the first round, the Rohit Sharma-led India went on to win all eight matches they played in the tournament.

“To perform as well as we did at the tournament and lift the trophy at the end is incredibly special, and I will carry those memories with me forever,” Bumrah said.

“I wish to congratulate my captain Rohit Sharma and Rahmanullah Gurbaz for their excellent performances in the same period, and I am humbled to have been chosen as the winner.” In the women’s game, Mandhana set the tone with a commanding 117 in the first outing in Bengaluru. Despite an early stutter by the hosts in which they fell to 99 for five, Mandhana remained resolute, and benefitted from some lower order resistance to guide India to a formidable score of 265 from their 50 overs, which proved far beyond the Proteas.

Mandhana went one better in the second match, hitting her second successive century and top scoring in a game that saw 646 runs in total. The opener blitzed the South African bowling attack, smashing 136 in 120 balls and in tandem with her captain Harmanpreet Kaur, posted just enough to see off the resurgent visitors.

She came close to sealing a hat-trick of hundreds in the final outing, falling agonizingly on 90 in a stylish effort that ensured India recorded a comfortable victory to close out the series.

During the period, Mandhana recorded 343 runs at an average of 114.33, with a strike rate of over 100, earning her the Player of the Series award.

“I’m really glad to have won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for June. I’m really happy with the way the team has performed and I’m happy to have contributed.

For us, we won the ODI and the Test series and hopefully we can continue our form and I can further contribute to win more matches for India,” Mandhana said.

Legendary Australia speedster Brett Lee feels apart from Jasprit Bumrah, pacers are failing to nail yorkers effectively in the death overs and he wants them to master the pivotal delivery.

Bumrah is one of the most complete bowlers in world cricket at the moment. He can bowl wicket-taking deliveries without leaking runs but the most lethal weapon in his armoury is his toe-crushing yorker, which he, more often that not, executes perfectly in the death overs.

“On a general rule, other than Bumrah, we haven’t seen enough fast bowlers nailing their yorkers recently.

“I want to see fast bowlers bowl more yorkers. I still don’t reckon they execute enough yorkers at the death,” Lee said at the launch of the Legends Intercontinental T20 league recently.

With the recently concluded IPL featuring scores in excess of 200 regularly, Lee believes the fast bowlers would be more economical had they nailed yorkers.

“If you look back at 17 years of Indian Premier League, on average a yorker goes for a strike rate of less than 100. Which tells me that one run or less per bowler that’s executed.

“Now, when you bowl a yorker and you’ve got guys who can go down and scoop you over the head, well that puts pressure on you as a bowler.

“You’ve got to set in the right field and put two men back, third man fine and back and then bowl,” Lee added.

As T20 cricket progresses, the game is tilting more and more towards the batters. With the ‘Impact Player Rule’ and flat decks, bowlers struggled in the IPL.

Lee, like several other former players, called for a balance between bat and ball.

“I’m all for batters smoking the ball all over, but there has got to be something for the bowlers too. I’m not asking for a green top, where teams bowled out for 110, because that’s not good for cricket either.

“You want a good total, I think. Anywhere around that 185 mark to 230 is a good score. We’ve seen scores now of 265, 270, 277.

“It’s really hard because most bowlers now are going for 45 to 50 off their four overs.” he said.

‘Warner has earned the right to go on his own terms’

Australia’s charismatic young batter Jake Fraser-McGurk set the stage ablaze in his debut IPL season with many calling for his inclusion in Australia’s T20 World Cup squad.

However, the selectors decided to go with veteran opener David Warner, who is set to retire after the tournament, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh in the top-order.

McGurk, who is a top order batter and Warner’s Delhi Capitals teammate, though has been named as a travelling reserve.

“David Warner has earned that right to go out on his own terms. And if things don’t happen for whatever reason, then he’s (McGurk) definitely there to take part,” Lee said.

Although Warner did not have a particularly great IPL as he missed several matches due to an injury, the Southpaw has scored 834 runs in T20 cricket since 2021 at a strike rate of around 150.

He was woefully out of form ahead of the 2021 T20 World Cup but ended up being the player of the tournament, playing a vital role in Australia’s maiden World Cup win in the shortest format.

On the other hand, 22-year-old McGurk, who was called in as a replacement for Lungi Ngidi at Delhi Capitals, gave an excellent display of explosive batsmanship, smashing four half-centuries in nine games at an astronomical strike rate exceeding 234.

“I think if you go over there as a reserve batsman, you definitely have a chance to get an opportunity.

“That happened this year with the Delhi Capitals, he wasn’t even picked in the squad.

“Ricky Ponting rang him up late night and said come in and had a few injuries. So right time, right place.

“But the advice to him, and he articulated it beautifully to say that he’s only 22 years of age (araam se araam se) . He’s got time. There’s no point rushing it,” Lee said.

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has nothing but empathy for Hardik Pandya as he navigates a challenging phase in his career and is hopeful that the all-rounder, who “hasn’t been a free man in the last two months”, will become one during next month’s T20 World Cup.

Pandya endured a forgettable IPL both as captain and player with his team Mumbai Indians ending bottom of the heap in the points table. What made things worse was the incessant jeering of fans whenever he took the field, including at MI’s home turf — the Wankhede Stadium.

Also read | ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2024: full schedule, dates and venues

But Harbhajan expects the tide to turn in the Americas during the T20 showpiece.

“When he wears that blue jersey, he will be a different Hardik Pandya because we know he can score those runs and take those wickets. I want Hardik to come good as he has gone through a lot and I wish him all the very best to have a very good tournament for India,” Harbhajan told PTI in an exclusive interview.

“If he has a good tournament, obviously India will have a great chance to go forward,” he said.

“Yes, his form is a bit of a concern…and lot of other stuff was going on around him, his shifting from Gujarat to Mumbai, was a big change and the team (MI) didn’t react too well to Hardik coming back and that too as captain,” the 43-year-old added.

The reason for the fan backlash against Pandya was MI’s decision to hand him the captaincy after taking it away from the long-serving Rohit Sharma.

There was speculation throughout the season that MI’s dressing room was a divided house due to the change of guard. Rohit will now captain the national side with Pandya as his deputy in the World Cup starting June 1.

Harbhajan, a multi format World Cup-winner, urged the team management to bring Pandya and Rohit on “same page”.

“…it looked like they (MI) were not playing together as a team. So there was a lot going on. Hardik wasn’t a free man in the last two months. I believe both of them and many others who have played in different teams will have to come together to do something special for the nation…,” he said.

“Winning a World Cup is a bigger achievement than winning an IPL trophy, so I would urge the management to bring everyone together, have them on one page and make sure they play like one.

“I believe it’s the responsibility of the management to come together, and win together. Even if they lose they should be losing together.”

Bumrah will need support

Jasprit Bumrah is the only speedster among the chosen three (the other two being Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj), who doesn’t need conditions to be successful, feels Harbhajan.

“Pace attack definitely could be a concern because because Bumrah is in a different league for the kind of bowler he is. He will win you games on any kind of pitch. He doesn’t need conditions whereas other bowlers like Arshdeep and Siraj would need help from conditions.

“If there’s bounce, Siraj might do well. He is tall, can also swing it both ways, hits the deck hard and has got pace. But if wickets are slow then the challenge begins for other bowlers.

“There will be lot of responsibility on Bumrah’s shoulders but I hope other guys also take responsibility to be someone special.”

IPL performances won’t matter

Harbhajan said IPL form would make no difference to the players’ fortunes in the ICC showpiece.

“No matter what you have done in your IPL career or previously, this is what counts the most…if I was in their shoes, I would be looking for this opportunity to showcase that I have been better than what I have been doing,” the ‘Turbanator’ stated.

Virat is a changed T20 batter

Harbhajan was mighty impressed with how Virat Kohli tweaked his T20 game during this year’s IPL by adding shots to his repertoire, which drastically improved his strike rate.

“Virat has shown a lot of improvement from last year to this year and people spoke about his strike rate. It was in 130s during last year and this time it is in 160s,” he said.

“Of course it’s a big big change. Virat and Rohit will have to score quickly in Powerplay but also need to respect the conditions in USA and West Indies.”

If Gambhir becomes coach

Harbhajan doesn’t know whether Gautam Gambhir, who is being spoken of as the favourite to take over India’s head coach position from the outgoing Rahul Dravid, will get the job but he does believe it would be a crown of thorns for whoever chooses to wear it.

“If I say it properly, it is a speculation, which is doing rounds…the biggest thing a coach can do is to bring everyone together, so that team plays together. So, whether Gautam becomes coach or Ashish Nehra, or whosoever gets the opportunity, hope they do better than what others before them did.” He also ruled himself out of the race.

“I don’t think I will be able to give that much time. At this stage of my life I have a young family and I need to be around them and look after them. Yes, when the right time comes, I will put my foot forward and say I am ready for it,” he concluded.

India’s Shubman Gill during a practice session at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.
| Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR

“It takes one day,” is the theme of the current World Cup. Across venues, these words leap from ICC banners. Perhaps it is the unspoken motto within the teams as fortunes get altered and a new dawn is embraced. True to that spirit, Afghanistan and the Netherlands ambushed England and South Africa respectively because all it takes is just one day.

However, if one team has retained its rich vein of form so far in this championship, it has to be India. With three wins on the trot, the Men in Blue have been on an upward climb even if the peak of lifting the World Cup remains an evolving dream. A familiar rival awaits India in the match at the MCA Stadium here on Thursday. Bangladesh, a neighbour with a long border and a shared love for Bengali and riverine fishes like the hilsa, has hurt India in the past.

The two distinct banana peels for India were the matches in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies and the 2012 Asia Cup in Dhaka. The first loss saw India crashing out of the premier tournament and the then distraught skipper Rahul Dravid is now the coach while the second defeat ruined Sachin Tendulkar’s special night after he had registered his 100th international hundred. Recently, Bangladesh overcame India with a six-run win in the Asia Cup joust in Colombo on Sept. 15.

Yet, India would fancy its chances while being guarded. Rohit Sharma’s men have ticked most boxes with the batting and bowling arms being in sync. Runs posted, wickets claimed and catches taken, cricket’s elementary nuances have all been seemingly mastered by the host even if these are early days for a long-winding tournament. While the playing eleven seems set, it remains to be seen if Mohammed Shami or R. Ashwin get a toe-in, a prospect that bowling coach Paras Mhambrey did not commit upon in the pre-game media interaction.

On match-eve, a warm sun beat down on the grass and India would hope that its strategies remain efficient and the game would be as easy as dunking this city’s favourite Shrewsbury cookies into a cup of tea. Obviously, Bangladesh will have other plans.

The old duo of skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim may be the fulcrum but there are fitness concerns around the former, which he partially allayed with a stint in the nets on Tuesday. However, a final call on the Bangladeshi skipper’s availability will be taken on Thursday morning.

Having lost two out of three tussles in this World Cup, the visitors have to lift their game. Bangladesh does know a trick or two about cutting down the Big Brother to size, starting from 2007. India, though, would prefer to stay imposing, like the rolling hills around the venue.

The teams (from):

India: Rohit Sharma (Capt.), K.L. Rahul (wk), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav.

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (Capt.), Najmul Hossain, Litton Das, Towhid Hridoy, Tanzid Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed and Tanzim Hasan Sakib.

Umpires: Adrian Holdstock and Richard Kettleborough; Third umpire: Kumar Dharmasena; Match referee: Andrew Pycroft.

Match starts at 2 p.m.

Former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond has ended his nine-year association as Mumbai Indians bowling coach, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise announced on October 18.
| Photo Credit: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond has ended his nine-year association as Mumbai Indians bowling coach, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise announced on October 18.

Bond, who has been associated with MI since 2015, won four IPL trophies as the bowling coach of the team.

Bond made the decision to part ways with MI after the five-time IPL champions appointed Lasith Malinga as their bowling coach for season 2024.

Malinga, who retired in 2021 and had played for MI, worked with the Rajasthan Royals until this year.

The 48-year-old Kiwi also quit as MI Emirates head coach. He was at the helm of affairs of MI Emirates team in the inaugural season of ILT20 this year.

“I would like to thank the Ambani family for the opportunity to be part of MI One Family for the last nine seasons. It has been an incredible experience with so many great memories on and off the field,” Bond said in a statement issued by the franchise.

“I have been lucky enough to work with and have strong relationships with so many great people, both players and staff. I will miss them all and wish them all the best for the future. Finally thanks to the MI Paltan for their support as well.” Bond was part of MI’s IPL triumphs in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 and played a key role in grooming young bowlers at MI.

India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has credited Bond for shaping his skills in the early stages of his career.

Strike force: Siraj and Bumrah have combined well to deal timely blows. 
| Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR

Traversing India’s geographical diversity is inevitable for the Men in Blue while they chase World Cup glory. Be it the humid Coromandel Coast, northern hinterland, Gujarat’s dusty plains or now the leap across the Western Ghats just in time for Thursday’s clash against Bangladesh here at the MCA Stadium close to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Rohit Sharma’s men have been busy travellers.

In the weeks ahead more air miles await as the host is bound to leave footprints far and wide, be it the Himalayas, Gangetic Plains, the coasts (west and east) and the Deccan Plateau. Hopefully, the final destination will be Ahmedabad, the venue for the summit clash on November 19. But it is a milestone that is a month away and the Indian team would rather ‘focus on the process’.

Three emphatic wins over Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan has left India in a good space. The margin of triumphs, all secured while chasing — by six wickets, eight wickets and seven wickets — reveal a top and middle-order that have delivered despite the ghastly two for three in that initial phase against the Aussies.

The return of Shubman Gill augurs well while the old guard of skipper Rohit and his predecessor Virat Kohli have clicked. K.L. Rahul and Shreyas Iyer too have been among the runs.

Tougher battles on the road ahead seem unavoidable but the batting is in good nick and the bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, have delivered. Mohammed Siraj, after a middling outing against Afghanistan, belatedly found his rhythm against Pakistan. As a bowling unit, India has controlled the middle overs, its batting core has sparkled and the fielding has been adequate and efficient, and all these constitute a recipe for success.

But there could be some vulnerable spots. India’s batting has not been fully tested. Hardik Pandya got one hit, while the rest, from Ravindra Jadeja to the tail, are yet to stride towards the batting crease. In cricketing utopia, especially in ODIs, it is best if just the main batters do the job.

However, reality could spring a nasty surprise as it did during the 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand at Manchester. Rohit, Rahul and Virat scored a solitary run each and despite the resistance lower down the order from Hardik, M.S. Dhoni and Jadeja, India lost the game by 19 runs.

In the current edition, India does have a weak tail, a reality that the management is attempting to mask by fielding three all-rounders in the eleven: Hardik, Jadeja and Shardul Thakur. The odd inquisition may happen but the squad exudes a quiet confidence, evident in the scintillating performance on the field and from the happy behind-the-scenes videos that the management posts on social media.

Living in the present, quelling one opponent at a time and being ready if and when a match crisis pops up remain the key, besides staying fit, both physically and mentally. The coming days, be it in Pune or in Dharamshala, should offer further hints about India’s progress into the last four.

An old cricketing stereotype about India entirely revolved around wristy batters and wily spinners. The willow-wielders with their wide bouquet of aesthetic shots were expected to defy geometry on the turf. The practitioners of the slow-art were supposed to spin a web, luring perplexed batters to their doom. This was essentially about poetry at one end while a lullaby held the other point of the spectrum.

How about some rock-and-roll that rested on fast bowlers? Well at one point, gentle coughs ensued, throats were cleared and a whisper traipsed into waiting ears: “Oh they are supposed to just take the shine off the ball before the Bedis, Prasannas, Chandrasekhars and Venkataraghavans spun their wares.” Indian speed merchants were deemed non-existent or at best were relegated to the realm of being an afterthought.

But do take a leap backwards in time, revisit India’s first ever Test against England at Lord’s in 1932. The visitors may have lost that game but its seam bowlers, specifically Mohammad Nissar and Amar Singh, were deemed potent, incisive and truly living up to that moniker ‘fast’.

The 1947 Partition may have affected the overall fast bowling resources available to India but the nation always found key men who could run in hard and bowl at a zesty pace, even if the speeds were not the kinds that the once mighty West Indians clocked.

Flagbearer

Over the decades, many pacers emerged with Kapil Dev being the initial flagbearer since his debut during the Pakistan tour in 1978. Standing in the slips, Sunil Gavaskar smiled as the ‘Haryana Express’ clattered a few helmets with his bouncers. Later, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma extended the tradition and now this is the era of Jasprit Bumrah.

If the earlier mentioned pacers had a classical air in their approach to the craft or in the run-up to the crease, Bumrah is one of a kind. His pre-delivery routine of a walk, followed by winnowing steps almost seems as if he is yet to decide whether to run or just stay gentle. But in those seconds, suddenly the limbs twitch, the legs blur and he arches backwards before unleashing a thunderbolt.

As bowling actions go, this may not seem bio-mechanically sound. Generating pace largely from the shoulders while using the back muscles as a catapult, can affect the body, especially the upper half. This isn’t a Michael Holding emerging from a run-up that gathers consistent speed, this is like a car with a sluggish battery on a winter morning but one which without any warning knocks down the garage door and rushes past. But it has suited Bumrah and it is a credit to all his coaches that they have not tried to alter the basic template of his bowling action.

The nurturing of Bumrah is like how Sri Lanka looked after Lasith Malinga, famous for his slingy action. And while Sri Lanka got its rewards, India is reaping the benefits too as Bumrah, as unorthodox as they come, has carved a space in the bowling pantheon.

Having made his India-debut in 2016, Bumrah has climbed the rungs, scattering stumps, drawing edges and doing the ‘eagle has flown’ post-wicket celebration. He also found an ally in Mohammad Shami, proving that old adage about fast bowlers hunting in pairs, while the other Mohammad (Siraj) too has been a good foil.

It is never easy being a top athlete. With seasons merging into each other, bodies tire, limbs creak and the mind yearns for solace. Bumrah is no exception and since he is a dispenser of the fast and furious skill-set, injuries were inevitable.

A corrective surgery on his back was deemed essential and it ruled him out of India’s squad for last year’s ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.

Even while others stepped up, his boots were too big to fill. Bumrah’s absence was felt, just like how Rishabh Pant is being missed now. The lanky seamer from Gujarat has an x-factor that India prefers unleashing upon overawed set of rival batters. The selectors waited, so did the team management. Bumrah did his rehabilitation well and when he got back, the spearhead revealed that he had lost none of his menace. His is not a smouldering approach, often he lets out a grin, and as fast bowling clubs go, this member is a smiling assassin.

Right from the time he made a comeback in a T20I game against Ireland at Dublin on August 18, Bumrah hit the straps immediately. Wickets were prised out and there was no holding back in his approach, which is difficult as muscle memory needs to be groomed afresh. Ask any biker after a fall and a resultant fracture, there is always a hesitation to stretch that particular arm or leg that got bruised as the mind gets defensive. It is the same with top-flight sportspersons but they always find a way to get back, and in the case of Bumrah he has been doubly quick in reverting to his regular path.

In his element

Be it the subsequent Asia Cup in Sri Lanka or the ODIs against Australia, Bumrah has been in his element. It is a welcome trait that has found a bigger stage in the current World Cup, a truth that opponents like Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan would testify. His yields include two for 35, four for 39 and two for 19. Striking with the new ball, as he did against Australia and Afghanistan, or causing havoc in his second spell, which found expression against a befuddled Pakistan, seemed so natural from him. Great cricketers impose their will on the game and Bumrah has that special ability.

The deliveries he uncorked to disturb Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan’s stumps were from the top-drawer. One of the finest deliveries ever bowled in the history of cricket was the one that Wasim Akram scripted against an unsuspecting Rahul Dravid in the Chennai Test during the 1999 series. There was both venom and just a hint of movement as the ball slithered past Dravid’s wide blade and breached his citadel.

The ones Bumrah sprung in the middle overs against Pakistan had a similar verve. Pace, bounce, seam and swing, cutters and slower balls, are all part of Bumrah’s arsenal. He is indeed a remarkable bowler and at 29, needs to be mindful of his body and ensure that he lasts many cricketing summers.

India’s current World Cup campaign and other battles ahead rest a lot on Bumrah’s lightning strikes. He remains a pure fast bowler and there is a touch of the amateur too as his batting skills much like Courtney Walsh’s, is that of a classic tail-ender, prone to strike hard or combust early, and the returns remain anaemic. Give him a ball though, red or white, and just say ‘play’ and it is then time to rock and roll!

India’s Jasprit Bumrah celebrates the wicket of Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match in Ahmedabad, October 14, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

India scored a thumping win against Pakistan at the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup match in Ahmedabad on October 14, with the latter’s batters folding for 191 following a collapse at the start of which they were at a healthy 155/2. Five of India’s six bowlers took two wickets apiece in the rout, although they were led by Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, who induced the collapse with the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed, respectively.

But for all the magic on display, Bumrah’s delivery to dismiss Rizwan in the last ball of the 34th over stands out for illustrating an everyday occurrence in cricket but at a magnitude commonly seen in physics textbooks and high-school laboratories, less so on the cricket field. The delivery was a slow offbreak – a ball delivered at 122 km/hr that, after bouncing, jagged sharply into the right-handed batter. There, a gap between bat and pad, which Bumrah had spent the first five balls of the over opening, allowed the ball to hit the stumps.

While slow offbreaks aren’t exotic in cricket, the one that Bumrah bowled was. After pitching, the ball’s kinetic energy through the air dropped noticeably, so much so that it reached Rizwan much slower than at 122 km/hr. The law of conservation of energy can’t be violated, so where did the ‘missing’ speed energy go?

One possible reason Rizwan was foxed was that he expected the ball to come on to the bat quicker, but it didn’t because of the ‘missing’ energy. When releasing the ball, Bumrah had moved his wrist sideways instead of straight down. As a result, from the moment the ball started moving, it had some ‘forward’ kinetic energy and some angular kinetic energy: i.e. it was spinning.

After pitching, more of the ball’s kinetic energy was converted to the angular component because of the way the ball gripped, and less of it remained for the forward component. The ball would have also lost a little energy as sound and to displace the soil by a small amount when it pitched. The result: it arrived later than Rizwan expected and prised him out. 

To be sure, offbreaks aren’t a novelty, but seldom do we behold one that exemplifies its own features to such a great degree. The messier equations underlying the physics of a shaped object moving through the air in a specific way – like Neeraj Chopra’s javelin or Jasprit Bumrah’s offbreak – often overtake the simpler ones at the core of all physics, but become unmistakeable in moments like 33.6.

Rohit Sharma and Co. will have to come up with a near-perfect show against a Sri Lankan outfit – backed by a 35,000-strong home crowd. 
| Photo Credit: ANI

 

The curse of the Asia Cup has persisted. It’s not going to be India versus Pakistan, in sync with the tournament’s 39-year history.

Nevertheless, with the World Cup less than three weeks away, there will be much more at stake than bragging about the continental supremacy when India take on Sri Lanka in what is expected to be a scintillating Sunday.

Injury concerns

While both the teams are dealing with injury concerns, Rohit Sharma and Co. will have to come up with a near-perfect show against a Sri Lankan outfit — backed by a 35,000-strong home crowd — that has nothing to lose at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Contrary to most of the last week, the weather in the port city has been brighter and hotter with every passing day.

Despite the radar alerting a couple of thunderstorms predicted on Sunday afternoon, a combination of a reserve day provision and an efficient ground-staff will in all likelihood result in either Rohit or Dasun Shananka lifting the coveted trophy on Sunday night itself.

Title drought

For India, the match becomes even more important considering the pressure it will be carrying for repeating the 2011 wonders at home starting next month.

Having wilted under pressure in ICC tournaments for a decade and not having won a multi-nation tournament title for five years, it will be paramount for India to carry the confidence into the global show-piece event.

On pitches that have expectedly become slower with every passing match over the last week, India will have to get its act right in the final.

Axar Patel, having hurt his wrist and elbow during a valiant knock in Friday’s run-chase against Bangladesh, has been replaced by Washington Sundar.

India will be tempted to get Washington in the playing XI with an eye on bolstering its batting depth and spin department.

Sri Lanka, has been dealt with a severe blow, with mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana having been ruled out of the final.

Spin bowling all-rounder Sahan Arachchige joined the Sri Lankan squad for its pre-match training session on Saturday afternoon ahead of the big match.

Shreyas Iyer is unlikely to be risked, considering the next week’s series against Australia to be served as the final fitness test for the batter.

India will rely on the big three — captain Rohit, his opening partner Shubman Gill and run-machine Virat Kohli — to come to the occasion.

Can it return to India high on confidence? Or will Sri Lanka – having survived a scare in the first round and pulling off a heist against Pakistan – carry the brownie points by defending its Asia Cup title?

Over to Sunday!

The teams (from):

India: Rohit Sharma (Capt.), Hardik Pandya (Vice-capt.), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, K.L. Rahul (wk.), Ishan Kishan (wk.), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar.

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (Capt.), Kusal Mendis (Vice-capt.), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushan Hemantha, Binura Fernando, Pramod Madushan.