Make no mistake, Jasprit Bumrah has done the biggest ‘carryjob’ since Deigo Maradona at the 1986 World Cup. In a World Cup-winning campaign, the Argentine legend still had Jorge Burruchaga and Jorge Valdano to support him. But Bumrah so far has played a lone ranger — honourable mentions, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy — in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He has almost single-handedly kept India in the series. The tourists go to the final Test in Sydney 2-1 down, theoretically with a chance to win the game and retain the trophy.
As stumps were drawn on Day 4 of the fourth Test in Melbourne, Bumrah sat on his haunches. It felt like the fast bowler had nothing left in the tank. KL Rahul came and collected his teammate’s cap and sunglasses from the umpire. Rishabh Pant held out his hand, helping Bumrah to get to his feet. His brilliance had kept the door ajar for India, with the hosts tottering at 91/6 in their second innings. But dropped catches put paid to the chances of a spectacular comeback. Time and again, Bumrah has been let down by the team’s collective mediocrity in this series, through batting implosions (seven wickets in a session at the MCG will take the cake) and poor fielding.
The current series is Bumrah’s stage to consolidate his position in the pantheon of all-time greats. He has taken 30 wickets in four Tests at an average of 12.83. But this is not a case in isolation. Circa 2024 was his year. He accounted for 71 wickets from 13 Tests at an average of 14.92. Dennis Lillee took 85 Test wickets in 1981, but at a higher average, 20.95. Imran Khan took 62 at 13.29 from nine Tests in 1982. No disrespect to the great all-rounder and arguably the game’s finest-ever captain, but with Shakoor Rana and Khizer Hayat umpiring in home Tests, and bottle caps allegedly en vogue, cynics might take his achievements with a pinch of salt.
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Coming back to Bumrah, he didn’t play ODIs last year, but guided India to the T20 World Cup triumph, with 15 wickets from eight games at an average of 8.26 and an economy rate of 4.17. He ran away with the Player of the Tournament award, as India won their first ICC title in 11 years. “You know what I would like everyone to do is applaud a guy who brought us back into games again and again and again in this tournament,” Virat Kohli told a packed Wankhede during India’s victory celebrations. “What he did in those last five overs, bowling two out of the last five overs; it was phenomenal. A huge round of applause for Jasprit Bumrah, please. We are lucky that he plays for us.”
As the sun set on 2024, Cricket Australia (CA) named Bumrah the captain of its Test team of the year. “Yes, he has torched Australia amid of the greatest tours by a visiting quick of all-time, but he also cleaned up England with 19 poles in four Tests on unhelpful home surfaces as every other seamer went around the park,” the CA said in its statement.
This is an interesting phase in Indian cricket. The Test team is heading towards transition and a change of guard appears imminent. The time has come to hand over the reins to the team’s most valuable player who showed his leadership mettle in Perth.
Also Read: Heartbreak, Joy and Breathtaking Moments – The Bittersweet Memories of Indian Sport in 2024