Bumrah scripts history, completes 200 Test wickets at sub-20 average
Indian cricket team's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has written his name in the history of cricket. During the Boxing Day Test match at Melbourne Cricket Ground, he became the first bowler in the history of cricket to take 200 Test wickets while averaging below 20. This incredible feat highlights Bumrah's performance and brilliance on the field.
Bumrah's journey to 200 Test wickets
Bumrah started the Australian tour with 173 wickets from 40 Tests, averaging 20.57. In the first three Test matches, he added another 21 wickets to his kitty. The phenomenal haul resulted in a gradual decline of his average after every match- 20.06 after Perth, 19.96 after Adelaide, and finally an all-time low of 19.52 after Brisbane.
Bumrah's milestone wicket in Melbourne
In the Melbourne Test, Bumrah had sent Sam Konstas and Travis Head back in Australia's second innings, taking his 200th Test wicket. The average came down to 19.46. He further brought it down to 19.38 after sending Mitchell Marsh's wicket later in the day. These numbers make it all the more special for Bumrah as he is the first bowler ever to achieve this milestone with an average below 20 in Test cricket history.
Bumrah surpasses Waqar Younis's record
Bumrah's feat is better than Pakistani cricketer Waqar Younis,' who was just a wicket away from the record with 199 wickets at an average of 20.04 before his 38th Test. However, Younis's average never fell below 20 again after a scoreless first innings and a single wicket in the second during his match against New Zealand at Christchurch. This makes Bumrah's achievement even more special.
