Sat Dec 07 12:43:08 UTC 2024: **Bumrah on Cusp of Elite Bowling Feat in Adelaide Test**
Adelaide, Dec 6 – Jasprit Bumrah is poised to etch his name into the annals of Indian cricket history during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series against Australia. The star pacer is just one wicket away from reaching 50 wickets in the calendar year 2024, a feat achieved by only two Indian fast bowlers before him: Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan.
While Bumrah’s birthday falls on December 6th, he might not reach the milestone on that day, as India elected to bat first after winning the toss. His opportunity to claim the crucial 50th wicket will likely come on December 7th, depending on the progress of India’s innings.
Bumrah’s recent success includes a Player of the Match performance in Perth, where he took eight wickets and led India to victory as the stand-in captain. With regular captain Rohit Sharma returning for the Adelaide Pink Ball Test, Bumrah can now fully focus on his bowling prowess. He currently has 49 wickets in 10 Tests played this year.
Kapil Dev holds the record for most wickets by an Indian fast bowler in a calendar year, with an impressive 75 wickets in 1983 (he also took 74 in 1979). Zaheer Khan follows with 51 wickets in 2002. While several Indian spinners have also surpassed 50 wickets in a calendar year, Bumrah’s achievement would be particularly noteworthy for a fast bowler.
Bumrah is also closing in on another milestone: becoming the Indian bowler with the most wickets in Australia. He’s already overtaken Ravichandran Ashwin in this category and is now trailing only Kapil Dev (51 wickets) and Anil Kumble (49 wickets). With his current tally of 40 wickets in Australia, Bumrah is well-positioned to surpass both.
First Piper 