IND vs ENG: Jasprit Bumrah backs Mukesh Kumar after poor bowling performance on Day 2 of the 2nd Test

Veteran India pacer Jasprit Bumrah backed his pace-bowling partner Mukesh Kumar after the latter faced a tough day at the office on Day 2 of the second Test against England. Playing in only his third Test and first at home, Mukesh Kumar struggled with consistency and he was carted for 44 runs from his seven overs as well. Coming in for Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh bowled in four separate spells yet proved expensive each time as well.

Speaking at the press conference after the second day’s play, Bumrah backed Mukesh. He said, “Can happen to anyone because he’s just starting to play international cricket. He’s just starting to play Test cricket. Obviously, we have a lot of confidence in him. This is a long series. Obviously, you have to rotate players. But obviously, you always learn by making mistakes. You get better than making mistakes. So that’s how cricket is. It gives you the answer to the questions. So that’s how it is. I don’t look at it as a bad day. It’s just a learning day. Everybody’s made mistakes. Even I made mistakes.”

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However, Mukesh Kumar played a key role in Team India’s recent win against South Africa in Cape Town, picking up two wickets in each innings as well. He made his debut for India in the Test format against the West Indies last July, picking up two wickets in the outing as well. Jasprit Bumrah also revealed his message to Mukesh Kumar where he said that he will have to forget about his bowling on Day 2 as a thing of the past and keep his focus on improving in the future as well.

“That is the conversation that we’ll have that okay, that day has passed. Now we move forward now. You can’t change whatever has happened in the past. Focus on what we can do better. What are the things that he’s thinking. So all these conversations we keep on having and trying to give our best. As I said, that it’s a long series, we have a few fast bowlers and you have to rotate bowlers because this is a five-match series. You want everyone to be fresh. It’s going to be an interesting series. So that is why I feel that the rotation theory was there,” concluded Jasprit Bumrah.