Jasprit Bumrah of India looks on during day four of the Men's Fourth Test Match in the series between Australia and India (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
What can Jasprit Bumrah not do with the cricket ball? The ace pacer has been in stupendous form in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under almost single-handedly carrying the load of the Indian attack. Bumrah has been devastating with the new ball and as lethal with the old. He has an incredible year in Test cricket and is the leading wicket-taker in the format in the world in 2024.
RG looks at some of the numbers that define Bumrah’s stellar year in Test cricket.
71 – The highest wicket-taker in Tests in 2024
Bumrah has been in menacing form with the ball in Test cricket in 2024. He has picked 71 wickets in just 13 matches. There is broad daylight between him and the number two on the list – Gus Atkinson of England who has bagged 52 wickets. Bumrah’s strike rate of 30.1 is also the best amongst all bowlers who have picked at least 25 wickets this year. His average of 14.92 places him at number two behind Josh Hazlewood who has an average of 13.6 in 2024 but played only seven Tests.
107 bowlers in Test history have picked 50-plus wickets in a calendar year. Bumrah’s average of 13.6 places him at number 3 on that list only behind Imran Khan (average of 13.29 in 1982) & Sydney Barnes (average of 14.14 in 1912).
5 – The most fifers in 2024
Bumrah has bagged five fifers in 2024 which are the most for any bowler in the calendar year. Three of those five fifers have come in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy – in Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne! The other two came in Visakhapatnam and Cape Town. Kapil Dev is the only other Indian pacer to bag five fifers in a calendar year – he achieved the feat twice – in 1979 and 1983.
26.7% - The second-highest percentage of False Shots induced in 2024
Bumrah has induced a false shot from the opposition batters on 26.7% of the deliveries bowled by him this year – it is the second-best such percentage after Kagiso Rabada who has a corresponding percentage pf 27.3%. Also, 12.4% of Bumrah’s deliveries have taken the edge which is the fourth-best this year after Gus Atkinson, Matt Henry and Chris Woakes who have all benefitted from playing in helpful conditions at home.
8484 – The number of deliveries for 200 Test wickets for Bumrah
Bumrah became the fastest Indian (in terms of balls bowled) to 200 Test wickets achieving the milestone when he dismissed Travis Head in the second innings at the MCG. Bumrah reached the milestone in 8484 deliveries surpassing Mohammed Shami who had taken 9896 balls to reach the landmark. Overall, Bumrah is the fourth quickest fast bowler to the 200-Club after Waqar Younis (7725), Dale Steyn (7848) and Kagiso Rabada (8154). He was quicker to the milestone than the great Malcolm Marshall who took 9234 deliveries and is at number 5!
19.42 – The best bowling average in the history of Test cricket
Bumrah’s bowling average of 19.42 is the best ever in Test cricket history amongst all bowlers who have picked a minimum of 200 wickets! He is followed by the West Indian trinity of Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose.
Nikhil Narain
