New Delhi: Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal on Friday praised MS Dhoni's innings, a day after India's 125-run win over the West Indies in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup match at Old Trafford.
West Indies kept India under control and hardly allowed to open their arms. India were reduced to 140/4 after 28.5 overs when Dhoni came out to bat. The former skipper built his innings before settling in as he batted 61 balls to score 56 not out. His unbeaten innings saw three boundaries and two sixes.
"Sometimes it feels like he is batting slow but he takes his time. In that wicket, it was important to take time. He did it and took us till the end. 268 was a good score on that wicket. Thanks to him we reached there," Bumrah told Chahal in a BCCI video.
"His experience helps us in such situations. He absorbs the pressure and takes the game to the deep. Young players learn from him. It was a top rated innings according to me," Bumrah added.
Chahal too backed Dhoni's batting display. Known for his witty reply, Chahal said that Dhoni played with caution as he knew after his wicket there were two batsmen who can change the game, as Chahal and Bumrah were next in the batting line-up. Bumrah interrupted Chahal and added that they both can hit big as well.
Bumrah and Chahal both picked up two wickets each. The fast bowler Bumrah, however, missed out on an opportunity to complete his hat-trick in the World Cup. He dismissed Carlos Brathwaite and Fabian Allen but Kemar Roach survived the hat-trick ball.
On the first ball of 27th over, Bumrah got big-hitter Brathwaite caught behind cheaply for one. Dhoni dived to his right and completed a terrific one-handed catch.
"The pressure that we had created was good. I was just trying to deliver on a good line. I tried to bowl out swinger so the ball got good outside edge and everybody saw that catch (by Dhoni). For so many years he has been catching so well. Everybody saw his contribution," Bumrah said.
On the next delivery, Fabian got leg-before off Bumrah on a duck. On the hat-trick ball, Bumrah could not get the wicket of Fabian but said that he executed his thought process well.
"On that hat-trick ball, I was thinking what was the batsman (Fabian) expecting. I thought he was expecting fast yorker. So I thought I will deliver slower yorker to him and it did execute but he managed to play it. The fact that I could execute my thought process so that was good," Bumrah said.
India sit in the second position on the World Cup standings with 11 points from six matches. The team would aim to beat England on June 30 at Edgbaston to book a semi-finals berth.
