MELBOURNE: Fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has become the sixth Indian fast-bowler to pick 200 wickets in men’s Tests. Playing in his 44th Test match, Bumrah achieved the landmark when he had Travis Head flicking to mid-wicket and dismiss him for one, and raised both arms in the air in sheer joy.
No one in the history of Test cricket has reached the milestone with a better average than Bumrah, whose average stands at 19.56, going past former West Indies pacer Joel Garner, who got to the landmark with an average of 20.34.
Bumrah, who made his Test debut in 2018, is also the second-fastest bowler from India to reach the milestone, where he now stands equal with Ravindra Jadeja. The recently retired Ravichandran Ashwin is the fastest Indian bowler to pick 200 Test wickets, which he achieved in 37 innings.
In terms of Indian fast-bowlers, Bumrah is the fastest, with the next best being the legendary Kapil Dev, who claimed his 200th scalp in his 50th Test match. Overall, Pakistan spinner Yasir Shah is the fastest to reach 200 Test wickets, when he reached the mark in just 33 Tests.
In terms of balls bowled, Bumrah, with 8484 deliveries, is the fourth-quickest in the history of Test cricket to reach the 200 wickets mark after Pakistan’s Waqar Younis (7725), South Africa duo of Dale Steyn (7848) and Kagiso Rabada (8153).
Bumrah didn't stop there and got rid of Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey in his next 10 deliveries to break the back of Australia's batting line-up in their second innings of the ongoing Boxing Day Test.
“200 sticks at 19.56. Unreal. What a bowler. Mind-boggling stuff. Well done Boom Boom, ” said former India head coach Ravi Shastri on ‘X’. “The Greatest of all time is doing what he does best here at the ‘G’ .. @Jaspritbumrah93 is incredible .., ” commented former England captain Michael Vaughan on ‘X’.