India pacer Jasprit Bumrah said on Sunday that his team were looking to get some extra runs which would have given them the advantage in the second innings. He added that due to this approach, the batters played lots of attacking shots which didn't pay off.
India were given their second straight defeat in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup with an eight-wicket loss to New Zealand. India rejigged their batting order at the top but couldn't get much success as they were able to score just 110/7 in their 20 overs, giving catches to the fielders in the deep in a bid to score fast.
"I think as a batting unit, what we were trying to do is that we know in the second innings, dew does play a massive factor. So, I think we tried to give us some cushion. We wanted to get some extra runs that could give us advantage in the second innings. In doing that process, I think we played a lot of attacking shots and options that didn't come off today. So, I think that was the approach as a batting unit that was going on because in the second innings, batting does get easier. So, we wanted to give that cushion to the bowlers. In that thought process, we played a lot of attacking shots," Bumrah said at the post-match press conference.
Bumrah mentioned that the attacking approach from the Indian batting order was due to the realisation of dew playing a part in the second innings. "We have realised that once you lose the toss, the wicket changes in the second innings. Obviously, I felt that we wanted to give the cushion. It was a discussion that we wanted to give the cushion to the bowlers. In that, we went attacking a little early."
"The longer boundaries actually came into play. They used the slower balls well and used the wicket quite well to their advantage. They made it difficult for our batters to play the big shots because the singles were not there on the offer. So, the high-risk shots were always there. That was the summary of what happened today and that's there for everyone to see."
Bumrah, who was the only Indian bowler to enter his name into the wickets column while defending 111, explained the difference in the behaviour of the pitch in first and second innings. "As a bowler, I can tell you that in second innings, when we were bowling the length ball, it was not holding. But in the first innings, when they were bowling the length ball, pick or pull were not happening and shot-making became difficult."
"We had discussed after playing the last game that the wicket in the second innings became a bit better. We were trying to give that cushion of making extra 20-25 runs so that it could be covered up and bowlers get some margin. So, that difference always remains when toss becomes a very crucial factor."
India's next match in the tournament will be against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on 3 November.
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