Indian ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah continued his sensational bowling performances in the fourth test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy test series against Australia in Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). He claimed his 200th test wicket on Sunday (December 29) to achieve a crucial career milestone in the longest format.
Bumrah became the fastest Indian pacer to get past this mark in his 8484th legal delivery. In terms of the number of tests, Bumrah equaled Ravindra Jadeja in completing 200 test wickets in 44 games. At the time of writing, Jasprit Bumrah has claimed figures of 4/42 in 21 overs, and has 202 total test scalps.
Bumrah is only behind Ravichandran Ashwin, who achieved the feat in 38 games. The 30-year-old is fourth overall with Waqar Younis (7,725), Dale Steyn (7,848) and Kagiso Rabada (8,153) achieving the feat earlier than him in their respective careers.
Interestingly, Bumrah (19.38) is the only bowler to hold an average of under 20 with bowlers having more than 200 wickets in test cricket. Malcolm Marshall (376 wickets at 20.94), Joel Garner (259 at 20.97), Curtly Ambrose (405 at 20.99) and Fred Trueman (21.57) are next on the list.
Jasprit Bumrah stole the show in MCG
The riveting fourth day of the ongoing Boxing Day Test between India and Australia saw Jasprit Bumrah rising to the occasion. In the first innings, he was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors with figures of 4/99.
However, India wanted Bumrah’s assistance more than ever, as they trailed by 105 runs heading into the second innings of the game. The right-arm pacer went through the gates to dismiss debutant Sam Konstas (8), who slammed 60 in the first innings.
After Mohammed Siraj dismissed Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith, the stage was set for Bumrah to shine. He met the expectations by forcing Travis Head (1) to make an error, while taking out wickets of Mitchell Marsh (0) and Alex Carey (2) as well.
The series has been a sensational one for Bumrah, who has taken 29 wickets to help India remain in the hunt despite the batters not contributing enough to keep the visitors afloat.
Harbhajan Singh holds the record for picking the most wickets in a single BGT series with 32 scalps, a feat which he achieved during the 2000-01 series. If the Sydney test goes as per plan for Bumrah, he is expected to surpass the legendary spinner’s record.
FAQs
How has Jasprit Bumrah fared in test format in Australia?
61 wickets in 11 games
Who is India’s top run-scorer in BGT 2024-25?
Nitish Kumar Reddy – 293 runs
