Former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid praised pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for his remarkable performance in India’s dominant win over Australia in the Perth Test, where Bumrah claimed eight wickets, including a crucial five-wicket haul. Dravid highlighted how Bumrah’s efforts “took the game by the scruff of the neck” and “cracked it open,” especially with his stellar first-innings spell that gave India a 46-run lead.
India won the match by a massive margin of 295 runs, ending Australia’s unbeaten record at the venue. Bumrah’s match-winning performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award and saw him return to the top of the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings.
Speaking on Star Sports, Dravid said, “If you want to talk about someone taking control of a game and completely turning it around, that was Bumrah in the first innings. He bowled a brilliant spell and then continued to take crucial wickets in the second innings. As captain, he led from the front, confidently saying, ‘Give it to me, and I’ll show you how to turn this game.’ His performance was phenomenal, and it’s something he consistently does across formats.”
India had initially struggled with the bat, being dismissed for just 150 runs in their first innings. Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) and Rishabh Pant (37) provided key contributions, especially in a vital 48-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Australia’s bowlers, led by Josh Hazlewood (4/29), dominated, with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, and Mitchell Starc each claiming two wickets.
Australia’s response was equally poor, as they were reduced to 79/9 before Mitchell Starc (26) and Alex Carey (21) added some resistance, taking their total to 104, leaving India with a 46-run lead. Bumrah was the star for India, taking 5/30 in 18 overs, with debutant Harshit Rana contributing with 3/48.
In India’s second innings, they extended their lead with an imposing total of 487/6 declared. KL Rahul (77) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (161) put on a 201-run opening partnership, and despite losing quick wickets, Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 100 and valuable contributions from Washington Sundar (29*) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (38*) propelled India to a formidable target of 534 runs.
Nathan Lyon (2/96) was the pick of the Australian bowlers, with Hazlewood, Starc, and Cummins picking up one wicket each.
By stumps on Day 3, Australia were in deep trouble at 12/3, with Bumrah claiming two wickets and Mohammed Siraj picking up one. On Day 4, despite a brave knock from Travis Head (89) and Mitchell Marsh (47), Australia were bowled out for 238, handing India a comprehensive 295-run victory. Bumrah (3/42) and Siraj (3/51) led the bowling attack in the second innings, with Washington Sundar claiming two wickets, and Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana taking one each