‘Sit & Cry…’ Bumrah Shares Why He Reacts Differently Than Most When Catches Are Dropped

ENG vs IND: Jasprit Bumrah was the only saving grace for an otherwise ordinary bowling performance by the Indian bowlers in England’s first innings of the first Test in Leeds.

The 31-year-old’s brilliant bowling once again turned heads as India took a slender six-run lead in the first innings, bowling out the hosts for 465 after posting 471 in their first attempt.

Bowling on a placid track, Bumrah returned with 5/83 in 24.4 overs, proving why he is the best in the business. He finished only with five scalps to his name, but could have gotten much more if the Indian fielders had complemented his superb effort with theirs in the field.

Bumrah’s no-ball provided an early reprieve to Harry Brook, who would ultimately turn out to be the biggest difference-maker, adding 99 runs to his team’s scoresheet off just 112 balls.

The no-ball wasn’t the only mistake that cost India. Young centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped three easy catches of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook, who all scored more than a fifty.

Early in the innings, Bumrah didn’t react much when catches were shelled off his bowling, but when Jaiswal dropped a dolly in the fourth slip, he covered his face with both hands, perhaps trying to hide his agony.

Bumrah’s subdued reactions earned him praise from fans and experts alike, but when the reporters asked him how he felt, he agreed that he, too, like most bowlers, feels disappointed when such things happen, but that reaction is momentary. “You just cannot sit and cry about it,” he added.

“Just for a second (disappointment on dropped catches), you just cannot sit and cry about it. You have to move forward with the game. I try not to take it too far in my head and forget it,” Bumrah said at the press conference after Day 3.

While eulogising about Bumrah’s gentlemanly conduct, many argued that almost every other fast bowler would have lashed out at their fielders after multiple catches were dropped off his bowling.

Bumrah, however, maturely explained that he never gets too fazed by the dropped catches, not because he doesn’t care, but because he knows nobody makes these mistakes intentionally.

“A lot of them are new to the game, and for the first time, it is hard to see the ball here. Nobody is dropping catches intentionally, and it is a part and parcel of the game. They will learn from it. I do not want to create a scene and put more pressure on them, like I am kicking the ball or something,” he explained.

Meanwhile, India finished the third day at 90 for 2, with Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan back in the hut. KL Rahul is unbeaten on 47 alongside skipper Shubman Gill, who scored six.