Afghanistan batters failed the Bumrah test, says coach Trott

Afghanistan's coach, Jonathan Trott, expressed his disappointment with the shot selection of his team's batters in their loss to India during the T20 World Cup Super-Eight match.

Trott specifically mentioned their failure to effectively face Jasprit Bumrah, India's pace spearhead, who claimed three Afghan wickets and conceded only seven runs in four outstanding overs at Kensington Oval.

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

Trott stated, "Obviously disappointed with a few of the shots or the decision-making," following their 47-run loss in the Group One contest. He acknowledged Bumrah's importance as a key bowler for India and emphasized the need for his team to play him better. Trott admitted that their inability to execute their plans against Bumrah was a major disappointment.

India posted a formidable total of 181-1, largely due to Suryakumar Yadav's second successive half-century. Afghanistan's captain, Rashid Khan, who is also their main strike bowler, finished his quota by the 14th over, allowing India to score 66 runs in the final six overs.

Trott, however, supported Rashid's decision to exhaust his overs early and believed that other bowlers should have stepped up. He praised Rashid's performance, stating,

"When you bowl three for 26, I think no matter when you bowl you've done a good job." Trott emphasized that it was not solely the responsibility of one bowler, but rather the entire team of bowlers to execute the plans effectively.

Looking ahead, Afghanistan will face Australia in their next match in Kingstown on Saturday.