The cricket community is a divided one. There are only a few things people actually agree on. One of the rare things they agree upon is that Jasprit Bumrah is the greatest bowler in the world right now. Even his haters would have to admit that there is something special about the pacer who everyone thought had nothing special about him other than his unorthodox action when he came onto the scene. 8 years later, that couldn’t be farther away from the truth.
Jasprit Bumrah’s BGT brilliance
Right now, he’s giving nightmares to the reigning World Test Championship winners, Australia, at their home. In three matches, Bumrah has 21 wickets at 10.90 and is taking a wicket in 25.14. 1/4 of his overs (22 of 88) have been maidens, and in 6 innings, he has one 4-wicket haul and two 5-wicket hauls. He is the reason why India is tied at 1-1 and not 0-2 or 0-3 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
If India wishes to win not just the Boxing Day Test but also the series, Bumrah must continue to shine, and others will have to play the supporting roles. The issue for India is that there is one batter who is troubling even Bumrah. Remember at the start I wrote, “There are only a few things people actually agree on in the cricket community.” Apart from Bumrah’s brilliance, there is another thing they agree upon, and that is that Travis Head is the best all-format batter in the world right now.
Latest on BGT 2024-25
Bumrah Jasprit vs Travis Head to decided BGT
These titans have been colliding. Their battle has been a spectacle to watch and one that, as of now, is deciding the fate of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Bumrah has made fools out of each Australian batter that isn’t named Head. Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith all averaged under 10 against him. Their lower order, Alex Carey and Mitchell Marsh, average under 20. Then there is Head, who’s hit 83 runs in 91 balls faced and has been dismissed only twice.
Jasprit Bumrah vs Australian batters in BGT 2024-25
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Out | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usman Khawaja | 17 | 71 | 4 | 4.25 |
| Nathan McSweeney | 15 | 66 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Marnus Labuschange | 6 | 72 | 2 | 3 |
| Steve Smith | 20 | 54 | 3 | 6.66 |
| Travis Head | 83 | 91 | 2 | 41.50 |
| Mitchell Marsh | 16 | 47 | 1 | 16 |
| Alex Carey | 13 | 30 | 1 | 13 |
Both of these dismissals have come at inconsequential times. In Perth, India had already won when he was dismissed, but Bumrah deprived Head of a well-deserved hundred. Bumrah had no luck as the batter’s hundred along with Mitchell Starc‘s pink ball brilliance won them the day and night match. In the Gabba Test, he got Head, but by that time he’d scored a glorious 152.
If India wants to win the series, Bumrah must send Head back to the pavilion early on, or else not just the Boxing Day Test but the whole series could slip away from their grasp within a couple of hours.
