Centurion: India couldn’t have hoped for a worst start to a long South African sojourn but pacer Jasprit Bumrah Thursday asserted that if one debacle dents the team’s confidence then they don’t deserve to play Test cricket.
South Africa outplayed India by 72 runs inside four days in the opening Test in Cape Town to claim a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second Test is scheduled to start here Saturday.
“Confidence is not dented after one match. If it happens, then you don’t deserve to play. Learn from the mistake you made and go forward. There is not a single cricketer who has not made a mistake,” asserted Bumrah, who took four wickets in the match.
“It was a first good Test and a good learning experience for me because I have never played over here in South Africa. So I had a lot of things to learn from it. Now it is time to move forward and focus on the second Test,” Bumrah stated.
Bumrah said he would rather pick the positives, including getting AB de Villiers as his first Test wicket. “It was not a dream debut. I was happy with whatever I learnt from that match. As a bowler you look to get the first wicket early and I got AB.
“It was a happy moment, and from there on, we took a lot more wickets. As a bowler, my motto is not to get too excited and not to get too down after every match. I want to take confidence in to the next match,” he added.
Bumrah had a mixed first outing at Newlands. He was taken for runs in the first innings at a time when India needed to keep South Africa quiet, but roared back to form in the second innings and triggered the hosts’ 8/65 collapse on day four.
He outlined the differentiation in his performance was down to understanding the nature of the pitches here. “It’s always challenging whenever you come to a new country. The wickets are different and the weather is different. So it’s always good to face new challenges. As you play more and more, you get to know a lot about the wickets.
“You get a fair idea about where to bowl and what kind of lines to bowl. It’s been good so far. I am still learning and hopefully in the further matches, I will be able to do better,” said Bumrah.
press trust of india