We need to bat with confidence: Bumrah

Bumrah took four for 56 and was complemented well by Ravichandran Ashwin (3 for 25) and debutant Mohammed Siraj (2 for 40) in engineering Australia’s collapse to 195. 

Asked what would be the away side’s batting approach having finished the day at 36 for one, Bumrah replied: “We are not looking too far ahead. We are looking at one session at a time. We don’t want to be conservative in our mindset. Control the controllables. Not being reckless but playing with confidence will be the motive going forward.” 

One of the striking moves by skipper Ajinkya Rahane was introducing Ashwin in the first hour of play. “When we were bowling in the morning, there was some moisture on the wicket. So, you saw Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja get some spin. 

“Because we wanted to make the most of the moisture, we were trying to use them. Ashwin was getting good bounce,” Bumrah said after the day’s play. Rahane’s field placements came in for a lot of praise and Bumrah said that the bowlers altered the line in the second session knowing that the pitch was becoming easier to bat on. 

“There were constant discussions going on between bowlers and the captain. The wicket changed after the first session. It got better to bat on in the second session and the moisture went away. We were just trying to communicate what kind of lines we wanted to bowl so that we can set the field accordingly. When there was less help, we tried to change the line accordingly.” 

Bumrah, however, downplayed any suggestions about this being India’s best Day 1 bowling effort overseas in Tests since he joined. “We don’t think like that and we just wanted to create pressure from both ends,” the speedster said. 

As a senior bowler, Bumrah was all praise for debutant Siraj, who was decent in his first outing in the traditional format. “He has worked hard and come up the ranks. He was eager to bowl in the first session itself. Siraj bowled with a lot of control,” said Bumrah.