India’s preparation for the World Cup without Jaspreet Bumrah will not be exactly planned. And right now, defending targets is where it seems to hurt them the most. Their four-point loss to Australia in Mohali was similar to their defeat by Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the last Asian Cup. It all resulted from some overkill at the end of the game. Even the return of Harshal Patel, who is known for his variations, couldn’t help India in the first T20I. “We all know exactly what Jaspreet Bumrah brings to the side and how important it is to us,” said Hardik Pandya, who scored 71* out of 30. “There will be fears here and there (but) we have to trust our boys. These are the top fifteen people out there in the country, that’s why they are there in the team. Having Gaspreet there makes a big difference, obviously, but … he’s back after injury. So it’s important to have enough time to come back and not put too much pressure on himself. “As a team, we want to get better. Losing teaches you a lot and where we can improve. We are a process-driven team and by the time of the World Cup we will make sure and improve our processes and see where we can improve. I am very confident in the players. A few games here and there doesn’t change much.” Chasing a massive 209, Australia needed 55 of the last four balls, admittedly on a very flat surface, and crossed the line with up to four balls to spare. Bhuvneshwar has conceded 15 and 16 consecutive times in his last two matches, which are 22 times smashing Harshal. “Look, we can’t identify anyone,” Hardick said. “It’s a game.” “They’ve also given up 24-25 innings, which doesn’t matter. It’s a two-string, we’re going to have two more games and we’re going to try and take a beating.” Pandya’s continued good performance with the bats has been a huge positive for India. Is he willing to push it up though? “I see my role as fifth,” he said. “I was told to hit five and hit five.” “There’s no rocket science in it. I enjoy anywhere and anytime I get the chance to hit. Hitting is very close to my heart, so I don’t mind getting many balls. If I can hit 10 balls, that’s fine too.” “I know I’ve had a lot of good days lately, but even on my good days, my focus is how I can improve. The kind of career graph I have, I don’t do as much as I do or fails. I scored zero too, but I stayed on the fence. I’ve I played a good match today but this match is over and I have to be ready for the next match and make sure I am ready for something new they might target. Always be one step ahead.”
