Steve Smith labels Jasprit Bumrah as 'best seamer' across formats
What's the story
Australian cricketer Steve Smith has hailed India's Jasprit Bumrah as "the best fast bowler over three formats." His comments come ahead of the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India, starting November 22 in Perth. Bumrah will be pivotal for India, who eye their third successive Test series win Down Under. The right-arm seamer recently starred in India's 280-run win in the 1st Test against Bangladesh, taking five wickets.
Skill admiration
Smith praises Bumrah's bowling skills
Smith expressed his admiration for Bumrah's bowling skills in an interview with Star Sports. He said, "He's a wonderful bowler, whether I face him with the new ball, slightly older ball, or even the old ball." Smith further added that "He's got great skills with all of them. He's a great bowler, arguably the best fast bowler across the three formats."
Performance highlights
Bumrah's recent achievements and upcoming challenges
Bumrah, who helped India win the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup with 15 wickets from eight matches, continues to lead India's pace attack across formats. As mentioned, he claimed five wickets on his Test comeback, in the series opener against Bangladesh in Chennai. The 30-year-old has a long season ahead, with New Zealand visiting India for a Test series, followed by the big Australia tour.
Milestone
400 international wickets for Bumrah
Bumrah has scripted history by becoming the sixth Indian fast bowler to claim 400 international wickets. This significant achievement came during the first Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Bumrah reached this milestone on Day 2, with three dismissals under his belt. The 30-year-old pacer has 149 ODI wickets from 89 matches at 23.55. In terms of T20I cricket, Bumrah has picked up 89 wickets across 70 appearances at 17.74.