SYDNEY: India's stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah etched his name into the record books during the fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Bumrah shattered a 47-year-old record to become India's leading wicket-taker in an away Test series, surpassing Bishan Singh Bedi's 31 wickets with his tally of 32—with one innings still to go.
Most Wickets in a Test Series for India Away From Home:
Jasprit Bumrah – 32* (vs Australia, 2024-25)
Bishan Singh Bedi – 31 (vs Australia, 1977-78)
Bhagwath Chandrasekhar – 28 (vs Australia, 1977-78)
Subhash Gupte – 26 (vs West Indies, 1952-53)
Kapil Dev – 25 (vs Australia, 1991-92)
Bumrah’s quickfire 22 off 17 balls in India's first innings was overshadowed by injury concerns.
After leaving the field for scans, he returned briefly but bowled with reduced pace before exiting again, leaving Virat Kohli in charge.
Bumrah’s stellar form placed him on the cusp of overtaking several records in India-Australia Test encounters.
Currently, he has 64 wickets in 12 matches, trailing behind Mitchell Starc (66) and Pat Cummins (73). Kapil Dev, with 79 wickets in 20 matches, also remains within reach.
Top Wicket-Takers in India vs. Australia Tests:
Nathan Lyon – 130 wickets in 32 matches
Ravi Ashwin – 115 wickets in 22 matches
Anil Kumble – 111 wickets in 20 matches
Harbhajan Singh – 95 wickets in 18 matches
The ongoing final Test has been a rollercoaster for both sides. Batting first, India was bowled out for 185 runs in their first innings.
In response, Australia managed only 181 runs, giving India a slender lead.
As of now, India leads by 146 runs with six wickets down at 141, determined to level the series 2-2 following a heavy loss in the Boxing Day Test.
India’s qualification for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final remains uncertain.
To secure a spot, India needs to either win or draw the fifth Test and then rely on Sri Lanka to defeat Australia 2-0 or 1-0 in their upcoming Test series, starting January 29 in Galle.