Melbourne, December 29, 2024: Jasprit Bumrah has etched his name in history as the sixth Indian fast bowler to reach 200 wickets in men’s Tests, achieving the milestone in his 44th Test match during the ongoing Boxing Day Test against Australia. Bumrah claimed his 200th wicket by dismissing Travis Head for just one, catching him at mid-wicket, and celebrated the moment with raised arms in pure joy.
What sets Bumrah apart is his unparalleled efficiency. With an average of 19.56, he becomes the fastest to achieve 200 wickets in Test cricket by average, surpassing West Indies legend Joel Garner, who reached the feat with an average of 20.34.
“Bumrah’s average of 19.56 is unreal. What a bowler. Mind-boggling stuff,” former India head coach Ravi Shastri tweeted on X.
Making his Test debut in 2018, Bumrah’s rise has been nothing short of rapid. He joins Ravindra Jadeja as the second-fastest Indian to reach the 200-wicket landmark, though Ravichandran Ashwin remains the fastest Indian bowler to do so, achieving the feat in 37 matches.
Among Indian fast bowlers, Bumrah’s 44 Tests make him the quickest, surpassing the legendary Kapil Dev, who took 50 matches to reach 200 wickets. The global fastest record is held by Pakistan’s Yasir Shah, who reached the milestone in just 33 Tests.
In terms of balls bowled, Bumrah took 8,484 deliveries to reach his 200th wicket, making him the fourth-quickest in Test cricket’s history. Pakistan’s Waqar Younis holds the top spot with 7,725 deliveries, followed by South Africa’s Dale Steyn (7,848) and Kagiso Rabada (8,153).
Bumrah didn’t stop there, removing Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey in the next 10 deliveries, putting Australia’s batting line-up under pressure.
“The Greatest of all time is doing what he does best here at the ‘G’.. @Jaspritbumrah93 is incredible..,” said former England captain Michael Vaughan on X.