Jasprit Bumrah ferociously roared at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on the third day of the Boxing Day Test against Australia, picking up a six-wicket haul to dismantle the Aussie batting line-up. With his magnificent spell, the young Indian speedster not only broke the 39-year-old Indian bowling record of most wickets in a calendar year, but also became the first Asian bowler to take a five-fer in each of Australia, England and South Africa in the same calendar year.
In reply to India’s mammoth 443-run total, the Aussie hosts were bundled up for just 151 runs in 66.5 overs. Bumrah turned out to be the wrecker-in-chief, scalping 6 crucial wickets in 15.5 overs, registering his career-best figures of 6 for 33.
Here’s the video:
The 25-year-old has emerged as one of the dangerous bowlers in world cricket since he made his Test debut against South Africa in January 2018. He then featured in a total of 8 Tests and scalped 39 wickets so far. Adding six more wickets from the Boxing Day Test to his tally, his count goes to 41 which makes him the first Asian bowler to take a five-fer in each of Australia, England and South Africa in the same calendar year.
Here’s the list of his 3 five-fers taken in 2018:
5/54 vs SA, Johannesburg
5/85 vs Eng, Trent Bridge
6/33 vs Aus, Melbourne
Bumrah also surpassed former Indian greats – Dileep Doshi, Venkatesh Prasad, Narendra Hirwani and S Sreesanth to pick up most wickets in his debut calendar year for India.
Most wickets in a debut calendar year for India:
45 J Bumrah (2018) *
40 Dileep Doshi (1979)
37 V Prasad (1996)
36 N Hirwani (1988)
35 S Sreesanth (2006)
In 2018, the Indian trio of Bumrah, Ishant and Shami have shared 123 wickets (2018*) so far, which put them in the joint-second list with the South African troika of Ntini, Steyn and Morkel (2008).