January 5, 2025: Australia’s Travis Head has heaped praise on India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, calling his performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) one of the best individual efforts he has seen in Test cricket. Bumrah, who was a constant threat to the Australian batting line-up, delivered a series of match-winning performances that made him one of the standout bowlers of the tour.
Despite being unavailable for the final moments of the fifth Test due to back spasms, Bumrah had already set the stage on fire throughout the series, finishing as India’s highest wicket-taker with a remarkable 32 wickets. This tally surpassed the previous record of Bishan Singh Bedi‘s 31 wickets from the 1977-78 series, with Bumrah also claiming three five-wicket hauls, including a best of 6/76. His impressive performance earned him the Player of the Series award.
Head, who witnessed Bumrah’s brilliance up close, acknowledged his exceptional form, saying: “It’s probably the best individual performance that I’ve seen since I’ve been playing Test cricket. He had an exceptional tour.” Head also mentioned that there were mixed feelings when Bumrah wasn’t available to bowl in the final Test, adding, “I think there were 15 people that were pleased that he has not been involved today. But yeah, that’s the way it plays out.”
While Bumrah was a constant thorn in Australia’s side, Travis Head himself had an outstanding series, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 448 runs at an average of 56.00. His contributions were vital, especially during the final Test, where Australia was chasing a target of 162 runs. Head, along with Usman Khawaja and Beau Webster, anchored the chase, taking Australia past the finishing line and clinching the 3-1 series win.
Reflecting on his own role in the series, Head said: “I knew that if I could just build a little partnership with Uzzie (Usman Khawaja) and just take a little bit of momentum out… it was nice the way it played out.” His aggressive batting style and ability to shift the momentum in Australia’s favor has made him a key figure in the team.
With this victory, Australia has secured its place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, where they will face South Africa at Lord’s on June 11. The defending champions will now look to extend their dominance in Test cricket after a stellar campaign in the BGT.