cricket

Updated: Feb 27, 2019 08:45 IST

Jasprit Bumrah became the second Indian bowler to pick up 50 wickets in T20I cricket when he returned with figures of 3/16 in the first T20I against Australia in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. The fast bowler has taken 51 wickets in his T20I career. Bumrah, who took 41 matches to reach the feat, is the joint third fastest to achieve it along with Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir. However, the speedster is just two wickets away from going past India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is - Ravichandran Ashwin. The off-spinner has taken 52 wickets in 46 T20I matches.

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Jasprit Bumrah defended his under-fire colleague Umesh Yadav for not being able to defend 14 runs in the final over of the first T20I against Australia, calling it a one-off day when his execution at the death went haywire.

Bumrah got India back into the match with a superb 19th over where he gave away only two runs and Yadav had to defend 14 in order to stop Australia from reaching a modest target of 127.

When asked about Yadav’s last over, Bumrah said, “This happens, death bowling is always difficult in any situation. It always goes both ways and it’s sometimes 50-50.”

Australia won the first T20I by three wickets. The two teams will meet for the final T20I of the series in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

(With inputs from agencies)