Jasprit Bumrah's 200th Test Wicket: A Landmark Event and Fine Statistics
Jasprit Bumrah achieves a milestone by taking his 200th Test wicket, which is a landmark event in his career. Look at the minute details of his performance and how this achievement impacts Indian cricket.
One of the world's best fast bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah, has achieved a milestone in his career. One of his most memorable moments to date is his 200th Test wicket, but one which happened with the dismissal of Travis Head at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in what may be seen as an almost mundane fashion. What makes Bumrah's 200-wicket journey special is not only the speed at which he has achieved the milestone but also the great numbers that come with it, putting him among the best bowlers in cricket history.
Bumrah, who claimed his 200th Test wicket in just his 44th Test, is one of the few bowlers to reach this mark faster than most. Of the 85 bowlers who have taken 200 or more wickets in Test cricket, only 12 have done so in fewer matches than Bumrah. However, it is not just the pace at which he reached this milestone that is noteworthy – Bumrah's bowling average is unparalleled. His career bowling average of 19.56 is the lowest by any bowler who has taken 200 wickets in Test cricket, making him the first to achieve this feat with such impressive numbers. The fact that Bumrah conceded fewer than 4000 runs for his first 200 wickets also points to his extraordinary consistency.
Another reason he does so well is by maintaining a high strike rate: 42.4; in other words, one wicket per 42.4 balls or, in simple terms, a wicket in every seven overs. These are stats that place him among the very best of the very best, along with only Waqar Younis, Dale Steyn, and Kagiso Rabada having been better. They are capable both of the new and the old ball. This list is doing all the talking about the versatility and skill with which Bumrah performs in all formats of the game.
One of the reasons Bumrah has become a success is that he has performed really well overseas. He has been the most effective in countries such as South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia where fast bowlers generally find it more difficult. Bumrah holds the record of the highest percentage of wickets taken by an Indian fast bowler in such challenging conditions. Among his first 200 Test wickets, 153 were in overseas matches, and this shows he can well perform outside India.
While Bumrah has won most of the teams and the top cricketing countries against whom he has batted, there are only some teams against whom Bumrah has faced defeats. One such team for which New Zealand is challenging ground. With an average of 45.44, and with just nine wickets from five tests he played against New Zealand, it is really tough against the New Zealand team. Indeed he has really done very well to his record against Australia and England as both the two teams are his hunting ground.
Bumrah's ability to dispose of top-order batsmen has further solidified his rank as one of the games' greats. In his first 200 scalps, 64 have been of top-three batters, including 50 of openers and 14 of number three. Besides, Bumrah has taken 30 number four batsman wickets, which position is generally considered to be held by a side's most experienced and reliable bat. It is an important position of top-order wickets which places Bumrah at the top seven among the best bowlers who take top-four wickets and, 47% strike rate being the best by any Indian.
In the individual batsmen, he has dismissed the most times to Joe Root. Bumrah has been able to dismiss Pat Cummins of Australia eight times as the captain and twice Travis Head during the Melbourne Test and in the process got his 200th wicket.
Since Bumrah made his debut in Tests in 2018, he has not been exempted from injury and workload management issues. Though Bumrah missed 18 of 30 home Tests largely because of injury concerns and the need to manage his workload, he has maintained his brilliance, especially in away games. This is testimony to his work ethic and skills that enable him to maintain such high numbers despite being frequently rotated so that he is fit for the crucial series.
Bumrah's record of 200 is not just a 200th wicket but some consistant match-winning performance for India. In fact, his average of 14.4 in 20 Test wins for India is one of the best for any bowler around the world. The next best among Indian bowlers with at least 100 Test wickets in wins is Anil Kumble with an average of 18.75, R Ashwin at 18.99 and Ravindra Jadeja at 19.65.
The journey to 200 wickets reflects not just talent but hard work and dedication, which he exhibits every day. Bumrah's exceptional numbers across formats along with his ability to stay consistent under pressure are making him one of the most valuable players around. The more he continues adding to his wickets tally, the more evident it becomes that Bumrah is going to be the central figure in Indian cricket for the years to come.
