Jasprit Bumrah's selfless act after the conclusion of the second Test between India and South Africa earned him widespread admiration. Despite Mohammed Siraj's commendation, Bumrah modestly refused to take credit for Siraj's achievements while translating him during the post-match presentation.
India's star pacer Siraj was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance in the second Test against South Africa. He devastated the South African batting order in the first innings, claiming six wickets in no time. Siraj took just nine overs to pick six wickets, recording his best-ever figures, which came handy in India's stunning victory over South Africa in the second Test. It was Siraj's stunning spell of 6/15 which bulldozed South Africa for just 55 runs.
When Siraj was declared Player of the Match, Jasprit Bumrah stood by his side to assist with translation due to the language barrier. In discussing his performance, Siraj acknowledged Bumrah's influence on his success.
“Jassi bhai hamesha, jo wo start karte hain toh woh message milta hai ki kya wicket pe konsi line aur length better hai. Toh message milne se mujhe zada sochne ki zarurat nahi rehti hai bas consistent (rehna hota hai). Wo chiz pe work karenge toh success milega toh yahi (Bumrah) agar saamne end pe rahe toh bohot hi accha hai,” Siraj said.
In turn when Bumrah was asked to translate Siraj's comments, serving as the translator, omitted mentioning his own name and refused to take any credit. This humble act by Bumrah garnered widespread praise and admiration from internet users for his gracious behavior.
“When we play along together he gets the message a little earlier because of our experience. We try to analyze the wicket a little quicker so that communication goes in the bowling circuit that this is the wicket and this is what we are looking to do. So that helps him sometimes,” Bumrah said.
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Siraj may have taken six wickets in the first innings, but it was Bumrah who dominated with the ball in the second innings. Bumrah claimed six wickets, aiding India in setting a target of under 100 runs.
Bumrah's outstanding performance throughout the series earned him the Player of the Series award. With a total of 12 wickets across three innings, he played a crucial role in helping India draw the series in South Africa, a feat not achieved since 2010.
Bumrah expressed that playing Test cricket was always his aspiration, and Newlands holds a special significance for him. He highlighted the importance of consistency for a bowling unit to succeed in overseas conditions. In a conversation with the broadcasters, Bumrah reflected,"This ground will always be dear to me. It's where my Test cricket journey began, and I have cherished memories of my first game. I'm thrilled that things went well today too. That journey, which started in 2018, saw our bowling unit gain experience and strive to make an impact. We understood that to excel in foreign conditions, we needed to bowl more and maintain consistency."
“In India, the spinners do a lot more work. The vision started from there. Our team is also going through a transition. Lot of the bowlers have been changed, but the message is still the same, you have to keep fighting. It’s not easy playing in South Africa, different conditions, the crowd is also something,” he added.
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