MELBOURNE: India’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah achieved a historic landmark on Sunday, becoming the first bowler to claim 200 Test wickets at an average of less than 20.
The right-arm pacer achieved the milestone when he got rid of Australia’s Travis Head in the second innings of the ongoing Boxing Day Test here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
As a result, Bumrah topped the list of bowlers with more than 200 wickets in red-ball cricket with the least average, going past the West Indian trio of Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose.
Best bowling average in Tests (min 200 wickets)
• Jasprit Bumrah (India) – 202 wickets (19.38)
• Malcolm Marshall (West Indies) – 376 wickets (20.94)
• Joel Garner (West Indies) – 259 wickets (20.97)
• Curtly Ambrose (West Indies) – 405 wickets (20.99)
• Fred Trueman (England) – 307 wickets (21.57)
• Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 563 wickets (21.64)
Furthermore, Bumrah has also broken legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev’s record of the fastest Indian bowler to take 200 Test wickets.
Kapil had taken 200 wickets in his 50th match, while Bumrah reached the milestone just his 44th game.
Bumrah, fresh from making history, struck again in the same over and removed Mitchell Marsh for a duck. The Australian all-rounder edged the ball behind to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Jasprit Bumrah, who is the leading wicket-taker for this year, bagged his fourth wicket of the second innings by getting rid of wicketkeeper batter Alex Carey on the last ball of the 36th over of Australia’s second innings.
- Jasprit Bumrah