Jasprit Bumrah celebrated his 31st birthday in style by achieving a significant milestone in the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Adelaide. The Indian pacer dismissed Australian opener Usman Khawaja to claim his 50th Test wicket in the calendar year 2024, joining an elite group of Indian seamers who have accomplished this feat.
Bumrah became the third Indian pacer in history to claim 50 Test wickets in a calendar year, following the legendary Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan. Kapil Dev achieved this milestone twice, with 74 wickets in 1979 and a staggering 75 in 1983, while Zaheer Khan managed 51 wickets in 2021. With three Tests remaining in the year, Bumrah has a chance to surpass Zaheer’s tally but faces a tough task to challenge Kapil’s historic numbers.
A Key Moment in a Challenging Day for India
On a tough opening day for India, Bumrah’s dismissal of Khawaja provided one of the few bright spots. Khawaja edged a delivery to slip, where Rohit Sharma took a sharp catch. This breakthrough was India’s sole wicket of the day, leaving them with plenty to do as Australia ended Day 1 in a commanding position.
Despite the team’s struggles, Bumrah remains the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket for 2024, surpassing notable bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and England’s Shoaib Bashir and Gus Atkinson.
A Stellar Year for Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah’s journey to 50 Test wickets this year has been remarkable. He started the year with eight wickets in Cape Town against South Africa, followed by 19 wickets in four Tests against England. Consistent performances against Bangladesh (11 wickets in two Tests), three wickets against New Zealand, and a brilliant eight-wicket haul in Perth contributed to this achievement.
Across all formats in 2024, Bumrah has taken 65 wickets, putting him ahead of bowlers like Wanindu Hasaranga and Alzarri Joseph. With more matches to come, Bumrah has the opportunity to extend his dominance further.
Historic Comparisons
In terms of Indian seamers across all formats, Kapil Dev’s 100 wickets in 1983 remains the highest, followed by Zaheer Khan’s 85 in 2002. Globally, Shane Warne holds the Test record with 96 wickets in 2005, while Muttiah Muralitharan leads in all formats with an extraordinary 136 wickets in 2001.
Mitchell Starc Shines for Australia
Earlier in the day, Mitchell Starc delivered a game-changing performance, claiming career-best figures of 6-48. His first five-wicket haul against India restricted the visitors to a modest first-innings total of 180.
India Face Uphill Battle
As Day 2 looms, India finds itself in a precarious position. Australia, led by Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney, reduced India’s lead to just 94 runs with nine wickets in hand. With favorable batting conditions expected on the second day, India will need a significant effort to regain control of the match.
