Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah said that he owes his hat-trick to captain Virat Kohli as the latter decided to review an LBW decision even when Bumrah himself was not sure about it.
Notably, the 25-year-old pacer on Sunday became the third Indian bowler after Harbhajan Singh (2001 against Australia) and Irfan Pathan (2006 against Pakistan) to get a hat-trick in Test cricket as India reduced West Indies to 87 for 7 on Day 2 of the second Test in Kingston.
The third wicket of the hat-trick was that of Roston Chase but India’s initial appeal against him for LBW was turned down by the umpire. While Bumrah did not look convinced about it, Kohli went for the review and as it turned out, the ball was hitting the stumps.
“I was not very sure of the appeal. I thought it hit the bat. But it was a good review in the end. I think I owe the hat-trick to the captain,” Bumrah said in a conversation with Kohli on bcci.tv.
Kohli said that he and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane were sure that Chase was late to the ball. “I asked him what he thinks. He thought the batsman has hit it so the only question was whether the ball was in line and he said everything is in front of the wicket. Jinks and I both thought he was late on the ball so we went for the review and it happened to be on the right side,” said Kohli.
Bumrah, who had taken a fifer in the second innings of the first Test in Antigua, ended Day 2 of second Test with 6 for 16.
(With inputs from IANS)