Jasprit Bumrah has been in sensational form for India throughout the T20 World Cup, but even the world-class pacer can have an off-day. New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips and his team will be hoping for just that when they face India in the final of the marquee event on March 8 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Bumrah has been the standout performer for India, delivering brilliant spells against Pakistan, South Africa, the West Indies, and England. His bowling in the death overs has been exceptional, making him a key player for the hosts.
New Zealand's plan against India
Phillips, who has had some success against Bumrah in the bilateral series before the World Cup, reminded everyone that even top bowlers can have a day where things don’t go perfectly.
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"Bumrah is a fantastic bowler. He's got so many variations. He hits the blockhole at the death incredibly well. You know, and he's human as well. He is allowed to have a bad day, as are the rest of us. So hopefully we have a good day against him," Phillips said, praising the Indian pacer but also signaling his team’s plan.
Glenn Phillips on how England faced Bumrah
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He pointed out that England’s strategy was often to play cautiously against Bumrah while trying to attack the other bowlers.
"The way England played him yesterday, in terms of trying to take on the last two overs, and give themselves as much of a chance as possible. That was the tactic they'd employed," Phillips explained.
Phillips also stressed that New Zealand must make the most of any mistakes Bumrah makes. "It's not necessarily going to be that, per se. As I said, a bowler is allowed to miss, and if he happens to miss, we do have to put it away. That also means that if he does bowl well, we do have to, I guess, accommodate for other things and adapt," he added.
T20 World Cup final
India and New Zealand will meet in the T20 World Cup final on Sunday, March 8, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Interestingly, the two teams also faced each other in the final of the Champions Trophy in 2025, where the Men in Blue came victorious to clinch the title, and now, nearly a year later, they will clash again in another major ICC summit clash.