India got off to a rocky start in their Asia Cup campaign against Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Opting to bat first, the Men in Blue found themselves at 48/3 by the end of the powerplay.
While their batsmen initially handled the fast bowling well, a sudden rain interruption drastically altered the game’s dynamics. Dark clouds filled the sky, and a brisk breeze caused the brand-new Kookaburra ball to swing dramatically. The movement was so pronounced that even bowler Jasprit Bumrah couldn’t help but smile, despite the struggles his teammates faced on the pitch.
From his vantage point in the player’s balcony, Bumrah closely observed Ishan Kishan’s encounter with the in-form Naseem Shah during the 11th over of the match. Naseem Shah, the right-arm quick, delivered a full-toss wide of off-stump, enticing the wicket-keeper batsman to play a drive. However, the ball moved significantly in the air, deceiving Kishan completely.
Mohammad Rizwan, the wicket-keeper, had to collect the ball far beyond the leg stump as Kishan’s attempted shot resulted in a near-miss. This amusing moment brought cheeky smiles to the faces of both Shah and skipper Babar Azam.
Upon reviewing the incident later, it became evident that Bumrah had his hands on his head in disbelief upon witnessing the near-miss. Slowly, a broad grin spread across his face, fully aware of Kishan’s incredible luck in escaping unscathed.
— Rashmi Tiwary (@RashmiMuz) September 3, 2023
Naseem Shah is some bowler, the reactions of Jasprit Bumrah and Babar Azam on his quality bowling says it all. #INDvsPAK #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/T56D3qMtQT
— Ahmad Haseeb (@iamAhmadhaseeb) September 2, 2023
Making his return to ODI cricket after a year, the 29-year-old fast bowler must have been hopeful that similar conditions would favor him when it was his turn to bowl later in the match. Meanwhile, Twitter users couldn’t contain their excitement over the good-humored reaction displayed by India’s star bowler.
