Jasprit Bumrah lit up the DY Patil Stadium with 5-10 but Pat Cummins (3/22) returned fire with a triple-wicket over that saw Kolkata Knight riders cruise to a 52-run win victory over Mumbai Indians.
Bumrah destroyed the KKR innings, reducing them from 3-136 in the 14th over, to 9-165 after 20. His haul included three wickets in four balls.
However, the Australian Test captain credited Jasprit Bumrah and said he showed them what length to bowl on the DY Patil pitch.
Bumrah hasn’t been able to pick wickets consistently this season but the pacer said the way he contributes to the team is more important for him. (Sportzpics/PTI)
“Bumrah (Jasprit) bolwed very well. He showed us that the top of the stumps and back of a length was tough for the batters to hit. DY Patil is also a big ground and to be able to hit six you have to hit it sweetly,” Cummins told the reporters after the match.
“Our game plan was to bowl straight lines, back of the length and it worked out,” he said.
The Australian Test team captain, a Rs 7.25-crore buy for Kolkata Knight Riders, was dropped by the franchise after a few leaky bowling performances. His bowling figures before Monday’s game were 2/49 (Mumbai Indians), 0/51 (Delhi Capitals), 1/40 (Sunrisers Hyderabad), and 1/50 (Rajasthan Royals). Cummins had been benched after KKR’s match against Rajasthan Royals on April 18.
Cummins admitted that he didn’t bowl particularly well in the first few games and about learning from Southee while on the bench
“I think I’ve played enough to not worry too much about the ups and downs, especially of T20 cricket. I looked at my first four games and was pretty honest that I didn’t bowl particularly well.
“The last few games on the bench have been a good chance to look at Tim Southee who has been bowling fantastically well, so learning off someone like him and when I got my chance again just trying to be that little bit more disciplined.”
When Pat Cummins was creating havoc with a triple strike, Ravi Shastri let rip. “Shukar hai Pat Cummins ko khilaya hai. Patha nahi kya kar raha tha bench garam kar ke. Australia captain hai, world class bowler hai aur bithaaya gaya usko! (Thankfully they have played Cummins. Wonder what he was doing warming the bench. He is the Australia captain, a world-class bowler and they still benched him!)” Shastri remarked.
KKR defeated a listless Mumbai Indians by 52 runs to keep their playoffs hopes alive marginally. With the win against MI, they are seventh in the table, with 10 points from 12 games. KKR will be ups against SRH on Saturday.
