Brisbane [Australia], December 15: Jasprit Bumrah continued his exceptional run in international cricket in 2024, surpassing the legendary Kapil Dev in two key bowling statistics, further cementing his status as one of India’s premier pacers in overseas conditions.
On day two of the third Test against Australia in Brisbane, Bumrah was India’s lone standout performer, taking 5 wickets for 72 runs in 25 overs at an economy rate of 2.90. He dismissed centurions Steve Smith and Travis Head, along with Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, and Mitchell Marsh.
This five-wicket haul marked Bumrah’s 10th outside Asia, surpassing Kapil Dev’s tally of nine. Bumrah’s five-wicket hauls include three in Australia, three in South Africa, and two each in West Indies and England. In comparison, Kapil had five five-wicket hauls in Australia, and two each in England and the West Indies.
Additionally, Bumrah’s eighth five-wicket haul in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) conditions sets a new benchmark, surpassing Kapil’s record of seven in these countries.
Bumrah’s performance also earned him the distinction of having the third-most five-wicket hauls in ICC World Test Championship history, tied with Australian captain Pat Cummins (nine). Only Nathan Lyon (10) and Ravichandran Ashwin (11) have more.
This year, Bumrah leads international cricket with 73 wickets in 20 matches, averaging 13.78, including four five-wicket hauls. In 12 Tests alone, he has claimed 58 wickets, the most by any bowler this year, at an average of 15.20, with best figures of 6/45.
In the ongoing match, India won the toss and opted to bowl. After a slow start on day one, India made early breakthroughs on day two, dismissing Khawaja (21), McSweeney (9), and Labuschagne (12) to reduce Australia to 75/3. However, a brilliant 241-run partnership between Smith (101) and Head (152) left India struggling. Bumrah’s 5-wicket haul helped break the stand, but Australia ended the day strongly at 405/7, with Alex Carey (45*) and Mitchell Starc (7*) unbeaten.