KOLKATA: Returning to the team after a gap of one year, nerves were bound to be jangling for Bhuvneshwar Kumar in Cuttack. His captain Virat Kohli had entrusted the pacer with the last over. England needed 22 runs to win.
Dew had made the ball wet and difficult to grip. Despite that, the 26-year-old didn’t disappoint. Mixing slower balls with wide yorkers, the Meerut-born cricketer — who replaced Umesh Yadav for this match — ensured that India got over the line by conceding just six runs. Incidentally, his second five-over spell yielded just 39 runs.
“It’s tough when you’re playing after a long time. There is nervousness, but not because of lack of preparation. Preparation goes on even when you’re out of the team, as you can do it anywhere. I was putting in my best at the nets,” Bhuvneshwar said.
With the strip being a belter, there was a lot of pressure on Bhuvneshar. He was brought in for his second spell with England needing 108 runs from 54 balls. Eoin Morgan and Moeen Ali were out in the middle, and were looking set. Bhuvneshwar not only stopped the two free-flowing English batsmen, but also dismissed the latter for 55 in the 44th over, thus ending their 93-run vigil for the sixth wicket.
“I knew I had five overs left. I knew I could swing the ball both ways. I had experience in death bowling, thanks to the IPL. There was pressure as well as dew. But the moment I bowled the 42nd over, I got my confidence back. You need an over to get your confidence and rhythm going.”
The Sunrisers Hyderabad player credited the IPL for his death overs showing. “It’s thanks to the IPL. When Sunrisers picked me, I was already playing for the country, and they were heavily dependent on me to bowl at the death. Those experiences helped me,” Kumar revealed. The Uttar Pradesh bowler had picked up 23 wickets from 17 matches and had emerged as the leading wicket-taker in Sunrisers’ triumphant campaign in 2016.
With Hardik Pandya and designated death-overs specialist Jasprit Bumrah failing to find the block hole, it was up to Bhuvneshwar to come good. “It is always difficult to bowl yorkers with a wet ball. But we practiced bowling yorkers with a wet ball. That helped during pressure situations.”