5 Best Bowling Spells of Jasprit Bumrah in Test Cricket

Jasprit Bumrah showcased his exceptional bowling skills recently by taking six wickets against England on Day 2 of the second match held in Visakhapatnam, arguably his best spell in Test cricket. 

Bumrah has found the most joy in away matches (home of opposition), and his record in SENA is impressive, but to make the ball move and talk in Vizag was a treat. His performance is considered one of the top three performances by an Indian pacer in the history of the format.

As we celebrate Bumrah’s brilliance in the longest format, here are the top five bowling spells of Jasprit Bumrah in Test cricket.

6/33 vs Australia, December 2018

In December 2018, India achieved a significant victory over Australia in Melbourne. India's impressive batting display (443/7d) put the hosts under pressure with the ball. It was Bumrah who was at his sensational best as he registered 6/33 from 15.5 overs to help his team bowl the Aussies out for 151.

A short ball from Bumrah dismissed Marcus Harris. His controlled slower delivery had Shaun Marsh dismissed LBW, who looked smack. Travis Head's stumps were tossed after an inswinging ball. Soon Bumrah returned back and got the likes of Tim Paine, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood. All three wickets were a bowler’s wickets as the trio had no answers.

Bumrah finished the match with nine wickets. He claimed a three-for in the second innings. This is his best performance in Test cricket so far. 

6/45 vs England, February 2024

England scored 59 runs for the opening wicket and were 114/1 before Zak Crawley was dismissed by Axar Patel. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma recalled Bumrah after Crawley's dismissal to target Ollie Pope and Joe Root. In his second attempt, he outpaced Root with a powerful delivery that shaped away. He had Root in two minds by mixing things up before that and he received Root for the eighth time in this format.

Shortly Bumrah got Pope in his very next over dismissing him for the fifth time. Pope, who appeared promising for his 23-minute performance, was thwarted by an unplayable inswinging delivery.

Bumrah secured his remaining four wickets in the third session of the day. He dismissed Jonny Bairstow with a reverse swing and after a couple of wickets by Kuldeep Yadav, it was Bumrah who claimed the wicket of dangerous Ben Stokes. Bumrah’s last two wickets were of Tom Hartley and James Anderson.

6/61 versus South Africa, January 2024

Bumrah made a significant impact in the second innings of the second match against South Africa in Cape Town earlier this year. In what was the shortest completed Test match, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were terrific on a surface that helped pacers. SA was bowled for 55 runs in the first innings, with Siraj leading with a six-for and Bumrah claiming two. After India’s 153/10, SA rode on 106 from Aiden Markram to post 176. India won the match by seven wickets to level the series 1-1.

Bumrah sorted through the middle order and the tail. Tristan Stubbs was dismissed by a delivery that hit the hard length outside off. David Bedingham was dismissed by a powerful drive, while Kyle Verreynne was Bumrah’s next victim who tried to pull a length ball. A brilliant caught and bowled dismissed Marco Jansen next. 

A fuller ball had Keshav Maharaj feed one at the gully. Bumrah’s ninth five-wicket-haul saw him take Lungi Ngidi’s wicket to complete a six-for.

5/54 vs South Africa, January 2018

Playing just his third test match, Bumrah secured his maiden fifer in SENA in his debut series. He rattled the hosts with a spell of 5/54 in Johannesburg as India claimed a rare win on Proteas soil. India were bowled for 187 in their first innings, before Bumrah’s fifer assisted India restrict the hosts to 194/10. Bumrah bowled 18.5 overs for his 5/54.

Bumrah got the dangerous Fat du Plessis, who misread his ball to be castled. Soon, it was 6/125 when Quinton de Kock fell as Bumrah got a ball move against the angle to outfox the batter. Dangerous looking Hashim Amla was tested and beaten several times by Bumrah but held on to a fielder while flicking a ball. Bumrah successfully executed his massacre by bowling two unplayable balls and eliminating Andile Phehlukwayo and Lungi Ngidi.

India scored 247 in the second innings before South Africa collapsed for 177, with Bumrah taking a brace and completing the match with 7 wickets.

5/64 versus England, August 2021

In India’s 2021 tour of England, the first match in Nottingham ended in a draw. However, it was India who went on to get more positives as they then went on to win the next two matches before England won the final Test match and drew the series 2-2. Bumrah performed exceptionally in Nottingham, resulting in nine scalps in the match.

England managed 303 in their second innings and it was Bumrah who took 5/64. Crawley was forced to push at a short-of-a-length ball as England was 46/2. England responded with a crucial 89-run stand by Dom Sibley and Joe Root. Bumrah dismissed the former to break the stand with an inswinging delivery. Bumrah then got the dangerous Root, who smashed a superb century (109). 

England's score was 237/6, but Root's performance helped them surpass 270. An open-faced helm resulted in his dismissal with the second new ball. Bumrah dismissed Sam Curran for his fourth, followed by Stuart Broad's straight over the wicket. Bumrah’s 9/110 will always be memorable for a visiting bowler in England.

Cover Credit - BCCI Official