Jasprit Bumrah Achieves Milestone of 50 Test Wickets in England
Bumrah Joins Elite Group of Asian Bowlers
In a remarkable achievement, Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has reached the milestone of 50 Test wickets in England, becoming only the third Asian bowler to do so, following in the footsteps of Wasim Akram and Ishant Sharma.
This significant feat was accomplished during the fourth Test match of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford on Friday. Bumrah has now taken 50 wickets in just 12 matches, boasting an impressive average of 26.38 and a low economy rate of 2.79.
Throughout his career, he has recorded four instances of taking four wickets in an innings. On day three of the fourth Test, Bumrah bowled 15 overs, conceding 48 runs and claiming the wicket of wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, finishing with figures of 1/95 over 28 overs, including his performance from day two.
Despite being the third-highest wicket-taker in the series with 13 wickets across five innings at an average of 26.69, including two five-wicket hauls, his performance is viewed as modest given his return to Test cricket after a lengthy injury hiatus during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 against Australia, where he had an outstanding record of 32 wickets at an average of 13.06.
In the match, England began their day at 225/2, with Ollie Pope and Joe Root at the crease. The pair formed a century partnership, building on the strong foundation laid by openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, who scored 94 and 84 runs respectively, leading England to 332/2 by the end of the first session.
During the second session, Washington Sundar took the crucial wickets of Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, but skipper Ben Stokes and Joe Root continued to dominate, with Root reaching his 38th Test century and surpassing Ricky Ponting as the second-highest run-scorer in Test history.
By the end of the second session, England had advanced to 433/4, with Stokes and Root still at the crease. However, both Bumrah and Siraj faced fitness challenges, with Bumrah only able to bowl one over with the new ball.
Stokes completed his fifty in the final session but had to leave the field due to a left leg issue. Root was eventually dismissed by Jadeja for a commendable 150 runs, which included 14 boundaries. Bumrah and Siraj quickly took out Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes, reducing England to 528/7. Stokes returned to bat, partnering with Liam Dawson to stabilize the innings, and England concluded the day at 544/7, leading by 186 runs.
Earlier, after winning the toss, England chose to bowl first, and India managed to score 358 runs, with notable contributions from Sai Sudharsan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant. Stokes was instrumental in restricting India's scoring, taking five wickets for 72 runs.