Afghan batters failed Bumrah test: Trott

For India, he’s crucial and we needed to play him better, says Afghan team coach

BRIDGETOWN:

Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott was disappointed with the shot selection of his batters in their defeat by India in Thursday’s T20 World Cup Super Eight match and said they failed to execute their plans for facing Jasprit Bumrah.

Bumrah was almost unplayable once again, India’s pace spearhead claiming three Afghan wickets and conceding only seven runs in four impeccable overs at Kensington Oval.

Bumrah deceived Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afghanistan’s leading scorer in the tournament, with clever change of pace and got the better of the other opener, Hazratullah Zazai, with an off-cutter that resulted in a leading edge at point.

“Obviously disappointed with a few of the shots or the decision-making,” Trott said after their 47-run loss in the Group 1 contest.

“Obviously, Bumrah is going to be a key bowler for any side. For India, he’s crucial and we needed to play him better. His figures suggest we didn’t play him very well.

Trott, however, backed Rashid’s decision to exhaust his overs so early and said other bowlers should have stepped up.

“When you bowl three for 26, I think no matter when you bowl you’ve done a good job,” Trott said of Rashid. “It’s not just one bowler. Other people have to bowl the 16 other overs to be bowled, and it’s the responsibility of other bowlers to be able to execute the plans that we put in place ...

“Wicket taking, and certainly in T20 and on these types of wickets, comes from creating pressure. “So you need to find a way to create pressure on these types of wickets where there’s a short boundary and with the wind.

“So you need to (make sure) if you’re not getting wickets, you’re not leaking for too many runs. “For me, we just weren’t able to do that.”

Afghanistan face Australia in their next match in Kingstown on Saturday.