IND vs AUS: Jasprit Bumrah not being there makes a big difference, says Hardik Pandya after Mohali T20I loss

India decided to rest Jasprit Bumrah in the first T20I match against Australia, something that came as a big shock for the fans. Hardik Pandya explains why it happened.

India all rounder Hardik Pandya explained the absence of Jasprit Bumrah from the first T20I at Mohali on Tuesday, 20 September. The Indian bowling outfit once again did not look the same without the services of their strike bowler and failed to defend a mammoth score of 208 runs.

The Indian side leaked runs in the final over of the game, resulting in a loss by four wickets and four balls remaining. Speaking at the press conference after the match, Pandya said that Bumrah is very important to India but one has to give him enough time to come back from the injury.

"Jasprit not being there obviously makes a big difference. He is coming back after an injury, it is important for him to get enough time to kind of come back and maybe not put a lot of pressure on himself," said Hardik told the reporters.

He further added that the fans needed to have trust in the current squad, who are the best players in the country.

"We all know what he brings to the table and how important he is for us. There will be concerns here and there (about bowling) which is fine. We got to trust our boys. These are the best 15 in the country and that is why they are there in the squad," Hardik said.

The all-rounder was India's best player on the day, scoring 71 runs off just 30 balls. While he was not able to pick any wickets from his two overs, Pandya said that he was happy with his performance.