Melbourne: Jasprit Bumrah (4/30) continued to lead India’s fightback but Marnus Labuschagne’s unbeaten 65 helped Australia, who were 135/6 at tea, extended their overall lead to 240 on Day Four of the fourth Test here on Sunday.
Bumrah completed 200 dismissals in Test cricket when he removed Travis Head (1) and soon accounted for Mitchell Marsh (0) and Alex Carey (2) as Australia slipped from 53 for two at lunch to 91 for six.
A pivotal moment arrived when Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped a regulation catch at gully off Akash Deep when Labuschagne was on 46, as the Australia No. 3 brought up his second fifty of the Test.
His consistent brilliance saw him dismiss four Australian batters in their first innings during the ongoing Test in Melbourne, too. In the second, Bumrah took the first wicket, dismissing teenager Sam Konstas early.
Bumrah’s journey in Australia began during the 2018/19 series, but it’s this current tour that has seen him rewrite history. With the wicket of Konstas in Australia’s second innings, Bumrah became the Indian pacer with the most wickets in a Test series in Australia, surpassing the legendary Kapil Dev.
Bumrah now leads the list with 26 wickets, edging past Kapil Dev’s 25 wickets from the 1991/92 series.
Indian pacers with most wickets in a series in Australia:
- Jasprit Bumrah – 26 wickets
- Kapil Dev – 25 wickets
- Jasprit Bumrah – 21 wickets (2018/19)
- Kapil Dev – 19 wickets
With one Test match remaining in the series, Bumrah has the chance to further extend his record and become the only Indian pacer to claim more than 30 wickets in a single series. His performance in the 2020/21 tour of Australia was stellar as well, where he claimed 11 wickets, adding to his growing stature as one of India’s greatest fast bowlers.
In the ongoing Test, Bumrah’s brilliance continues to shine, but Australia still holds a significant advantage. After India posted a strong total of 369, thanks to Nitish Kumar Reddy’s century and his partnership with Washington Sundar, Australia leads by 168 runs in their second innings, with 8 wickets in hand.
The series is currently tied at 1-1, with the final two Tests set to be crucial in determining the winner.
