Bumrah back on track, like he was never gone

Two wickets glean a neat display in first international game since last September as India beat Ireland

- Somshuvra Laha

Jasprit Bumrah’s first ball in 11 months was a proverbial loosener—fullish, straying down the leg, begging to be clipped off the pads for the easiest of boundaries. What was slowly built up as the release point of almost a year of recovering from a near career-threatening back injury, waiting, training, and then some more waiting in hope, ultimately petered out into somewhat of a dampener. Or so we thought.

Back to the top of his run-up, Bumrah started ambling in, almost tip-toeing on Andy Balbirnie, till he was in his face. It was a length ball alright, but loaded with a seam position that made it nip in sharply after pitching. The skies over Malahide were gloomy. The pitch had a fair smattering of grass. This couldn’t have been unexpected too, not when the ball is unleashed from the artist-like wrist of Bumrah. So accurate was the delivery and so overwhelming was the shape on it that all Balbirnie could do was hang out his bat in the dire hope of just stopping it. He couldn’t.

Inside edge. Stumps knocked over. Jasprit Bumrah is back. Like he was never gone. And India won too. After restricting Ireland to 139/7, the men in blue were 47/2 after 6.5 overs before rain forced an early end to the game. India won by two runs on DLS.