Bumrah once again showcased his class during India’s tense semifinal win over the England national cricket team at the Wankhede Stadium, returning impressive figures of 1 for 33 in four disciplined overs in a high-scoring contest where 449 runs were scored and 34 sixes were struck.
“Obviously, Bumrah is a fantastic bowler. He’s got so many variations. He hits the block-hole at the death incredibly well. But 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 of the Indian seamer on Friday.
India opener Sanju Samson, who was named Player of the Match, hailed Bumrah as a “once-in-a-generation” bowler and suggested the fast bowler was more deserving of the award for his match-defining spell.
Asked if New Zealand would see through Bumrah’s overs and target other Indian bowlers, Phillips said the key was to remain flexible. “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.” Phillips added.
Around 100,000 predominantly Indian fans are expected to fill the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, cheering the home side. Pitch and the dew factor have kept both teams guessing, but New Zealand, chasing their maiden limited-overs World Cup title, would look to adapt quickly, the swashbuckling batter said.
“Pitches at different stadiums play each time differently. So whatever we see tomorrow, we’ll be trying to adapt to,” Phillips said. “If that means lots of runs, then that means lots of runs, but if it means that it’s going to be a little bit of a scrap, we’re up for that as well.”