Jasprit Bumrah continues to draw praise from across the cricketing world, though the descriptions of his brilliance vary. Former England pacer Steven Finn calls him “unique” in his own way, while Australian batsman Travis Head has no reservations in stating that “Bumrah will be one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time.”
India is currently touring Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and they kicked off the five-match Test series with a commanding 295-run victory in Perth. The second Test, a day-night affair, begins in Adelaide on Friday at 10 AM Bangladesh time.
Ahead of the match, Head expressed his admiration for Bumrah’s skills, saying, “Jasprit will probably be one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. We’re experiencing how challenging he can be right now, and it’s fun to face such challenges.”
Head added a humorous touch, saying, “Looking back at my career, I’ll be able to tell my grandkids that I faced him. It’s not a bad series; playing against him is quite an experience. Thankfully, I only have to face him a few more times, but it’s definitely challenging.”
In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Bumrah captained India in Perth and was named Player of the Match after taking 8 wickets. With Rohit returning for the second Test, Bumrah can focus entirely on his bowling, making him an even more formidable force with the pink ball.
Steven Finn highlighted this very ferocity in a different way. Discussing India’s dominance in Perth on TNT Sports alongside Alastair Cook, Finn remarked, “Jaiswal’s 161 was excellent, but the player I love watching and genuinely think is the best in the world right now is Jasprit Bumrah. He’s just… unique, honestly. Watching him bowl makes me glad I don’t have to pad up against him.”
Bumrah’s stats reinforce his legendary status. In 41 Tests, he has taken 181 wickets at an average of 20.6 and a strike rate of 43.6, making him the top-ranked bowler in Test cricket currently. In Perth, he claimed 5 wickets in Australia’s first innings, marking the seventh time he’s achieved a five-wicket haul in “SENA” countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia).
Among Indian bowlers, Bumrah now shares the record for the most five-wicket hauls in these nations with Kapil Dev. In 27 Tests across these countries, Bumrah has taken 121 wickets at an average of 22.33, the best among subcontinental pacers with at least 50 wickets in these conditions. He even surpasses legends like Wasim Akram (24.11), Mohammad Asif (25.02), and Imran Khan (26.55) in this metric.
As Bumrah continues to rewrite records and impress peers and fans alike, his journey toward becoming an all-time great fast bowler seems inevitable.
