Jasprit Bumrah Surpasses Legends Wasim Akram and Anil Kumble in Under 50 Tests

Jasprit Bumrah surpassed Wasim Akram and Anil Kumble, to achieve a unique Test record in SENA countries, following his five-wicket haul.

Jasprit Bumrah Surpasses Legends Wasim Akram and Anil Kumble in Under 50 Tests

Jasprit Bumrah broke a unique Test record, once held by Wasim Akram and Anil Kumble. (via Cric News)

Jasprit Bumrah has surpassed legends Wasim Akram and Anil Kumble to achieve a unique milestone, as he is now the leading Asian bowler in terms of wickets taken in SENA countries. His impressive display in the ongoing first Test against England helped him claim this record.

Jasprit Bumrah once again proved his worth in the Indian side, showcasing his brilliance by claiming a five-wicket haul in the ongoing opening Test, against England. He single-handedly led the team’s bowling effort, after India posted a massive first innings total of 471 runs. It was achieved thanks to outstanding individual performances from Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant.

Bumrah provided an immediate breakthrough for India, dismissing England opener Zak Crawley in the very first over. Crawley, who scored just four runs from six balls, was caught by Karun Nair at first slip off the last ball. In the 29th over of the match, Bumrah once again struck, claiming the crucial wicket of the other English opener, Ben Duckett, ending his 122-run first-wicket stand with Ollie Pope.

Jasprit Bumrah secured his third wicket in the 47th over, getting the better of Joe Root. Much like Zak Crawley’s dismissal, Root edged a back-of-a-length delivery outside off-stump, caught by Karun Nair at first slip. He completed his five-wicket haul on the third day, scalping the wickets of Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue, to bowl out the home side for a score of 465 runs, trailing six runs behind India.

With his fifer, Jasprit Bumrah took his Test wickets tally to an astonishing 210 wickets in 46 matches. The 31-year-old further extended his record in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries to 149 wickets across 32 Test matches.

His impressive breakdown of scalps in SENA countries includes 64 wickets in 12 matches in Australia, 41 wickets in 10 matches in England, 6 wickets in 2 matches in New Zealand, and 38 wickets in 8 matches in South Africa.

Jasprit Bumrah surprisingly edged past Pakistani bowling legend Wasim Akram to become the leading Asian wicket-taker in SENA countries. He now leads the list, ahead of Akram, who scalped 146 wickets from the same number of matches. Following Bumrah and Akram on the list are three Indian bowlers, Anil Kumble (141 wickets), Ishant Sharma (130 wickets), and Mohammed Shami (123 wickets).

Moreover, Jasprit Bumrah also boasts the best average among Asian bowlers in SENA countries at 21.12, outperforming Akram (24.11) and Mohammad Asif (25.02). He also has the opportunity to surpass Mohammed Shami in the list of bowlers who have scalped the highest number of wickets for India, in the longest format of the game.

Sanjay Manjrekar Compared Jasprit Bumrah to New Zealand Legend for His Impact on Flat Pitches

Ex-India batter-turned cricket commentator Sanjay Manjrekar compared Jasprit Bumrah to New Zealand bowling legend Richard Hadlee, amid ongoing India-England red-ball series. Manjrekar pointed to the similarity between Bumrah and Hadlee to scalp wickets on batting-friendly flat surfaces. 

Sanjay Manjrekar Jasprit Bumrah and Richard Hadlee
Sanjay Manjrekar drew parallels between Jasprit Bumrah and New Zealand legend Richard Hadlee. (via Republic World)

Manjrekar stated that Bumrah was the only bowler who stood out, among the others in the Indian bowling attack against England. He highlighted Bumrah’s ability to take a wicket every time he bowls, a quality that reminded him of the legendary Richard Hadlee. The ex-Indian batter, also stated that Hadlee like Bumrah, played for a New Zealand team with a comparatively weaker bowling attack.

Nonetheless, Jasprit Bumrah is way behind Richard Hadlee’s achievements in the longest format of the game. In 86 Test matches between 1973 to 1990, Hadlee claimed an impressive 431 wickets at an average of 22.29, putting him 13th on the list of the highest Test wicket-takers.