Twitter reacts to Jasprit Bumrah’s ‘perfect delivery’ leaving New Zealand batsman bewildered

02/15/2020

On the back of a listless ODI series, where he went wicketless, all focus was on Jasprit Bumrah heading into the Tests, but the pacer, by the looks of it, is already making the right noises. Bumrah announced his return to form with a perfect delivery to dismiss Allen, leaving the batsman bemused.

Cricket fans around the world were treated to a pretty obscure sight in the three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand, as Jasprit Bumrah, returning from a lower-back injury, ended an entire series wicketless, conceding 167 runs in the process. Thus, unsurprisingly, there were voices of concern amongst fans, who were paranoid, fearing Bumrah would never be the same bowler again post his return from injury.

However, on Saturday, the 26-year-old put all doubts about his form and fitness to bed, as he bamboozled the ‘New Zealand XI’ side in the three-day warm-up match in Hamilton, returning figures of 11-3-18-2. The right-armer unleashed every skill in his armory, swinging and seaming the ball at will on a dicy Hamilton wicket that provided plenty of assistance for the seamers.

The moment of the day, however, came in the 30th over of the New Zealand XI innings. With the score 82-3, Auckland youngster Finn Allen was starting to look good, stringing together a partnership with Henry Cooper, who went on to eventually score 40 runs in the innings. But with the pitch starting to assist the pacers further, providing a great deal of movement both off the wicket and in the air, India brought Bumrah back into the attack and it did not take long for the pace stalwart to weave his magic.

The pacer, on just the second ball of the 30th over, unleashed a pacy good-length delivery that pitched around sixth stump, and the batsman, seeing that it was wide of the stumps, decided to leave it on line, assuming that it would go straight on. However, to his dismay, the ball nipped back in sharply off the seam and ended up hitting the ‘top of off’. The batsman Allen, who at no point expected to see his stumps get rattled, stared at the pitch in disbelief post his dismissal and was glued to the pitch for a good few seconds, before realizing that he’d been badly outwitted by the bowler. Allen then even made a hand gesture of the ball nipping back in, almost acknowledging how good it was.

If this is the sign of things to come in the Test series, then it is an ominous one for New Zealand, indeed.

This is what happened!

Jasprit Bumrah looking in his element.. absolute ripper to dismiss Allen.
— Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan)

A healthy partnership is brewing!

A good 50-run partnership between the openers & as India finish Day 2 on 59/0, lead NZ XI (235) by 87 runs.
— BCCI (@BCCI)

Our bowling attack looks good!

Innings Break!

New Zealand XI all out for 235 runs. India lead by 28 runs

Shami 3/17, two wickets each for Bumrah, Saini and Umesh and Ashwin with final wicket of the innings.
— ravi singh (@Imravi_singh07)

But this wasn't great!