Ranji experience helped me to reverse swing, says Bumrah

Melbourne: Jasprit Bumrah said his experience of getting reverse swing on slower pitches in first class cricket helped him get the best out of a docile MCG track after his six-wicket haul put India in command in the third Test here.

Bumrah's produced a career-best effort of 6/33 in 15.5 overs, becoming the first bowler from the subcontinent to take a five-for or more in South Africa, England and Australia in the same year.

"When I was bowling there, the wicket had become really slow and the ball had become soft... I tried to bowl a slower one, a fuller slow ball. Maybe it will dip or go to short cover. It worked because the ball had started reversing," Bumrah said on Friday.

"When we play on similar wickets back home, the ball reverses. So you try to make the most of it. We were trying to use our experience in First-Class cricket where we have bowled with reverse-swinging balls. That was the plan," he added.

"I am not surprised. If I say I don't believe in myself, who else will? I just try to back myself in any situation that I go. Yes the start has been good and I have played in England, South Africa and here three different kinds of conditions," said Bumrah.

"Yes I have not played a Test in India but whenever you go to different countries, you have new learning and experiences from playing in every country. I have had a good start and let's see how it goes further.

"I always wanted to play Test cricket, but people have only seen me in first-class cricket. I was always confident that whenever I get a chance I would be able to do well. Hopefully I can keep on learning and keep getting better," he added.

This was his third Test five-wicket haul after Johannesburg and Nottingham, where India won on both occasions.

They are now primed for victory in this third

Test as well, after leading by 346 runs overall despite

finishing at 54-5 following a mini-collapse in the second innings.

Bumrah said that although the second innings didn't go to plan, India will try to get as many runs as possible on day four before turning their attention to bowling out Australia for a second time.

"There were no such plans (after batting on). We just wanted to play positive

cricket. Yes, we lost a few more wickets than we wanted

to but we will try to add as many runs as we want to and, hopefully, when we comeback in the next innings (to bowl), try to get them out as well," he said.

"We have bowled a lot of overs as well. We are not focussing on that (tiring out Australian bowlers). We are focussing on our plans what we have to do tomorrow morning or whenever we start to bowl, how the wicket is behaving and what purchase we are getting."