New Delhi: Jasprit Bumrah delivered a stellar performance, leading India to a remarkable victory over Australia in the first Test at Optus Stadium in Perth. India is on tour of Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Filling in for Rohit Sharma, who was in India for the birth of his second child, Bumrah showed no signs of pressure. He played a pivotal role in India’s incredible comeback after they were dismissed for just 150 in the first innings.
Bumrah read the pitch expertly and chose to bat, predicting it would quicken as the match progressed—a decision that proved spot-on. Despite difficult batting conditions that rattled the Indian batters early on Day 1, the Indian bowlers came out with intensity. They dismissed Australia for 104, securing a crucial 46-run lead. Bumrah was the standout performer, claiming a brilliant five-wicket haul to turn the match in India’s favor.
Bumrah is on the brink of achieving a remarkable milestone ahead of the second Test. With nine wickets in the first Test, his tally for 2024 now stands at 49. He needs just one more wicket in the second Test to become the first player in the world to take 50 Test wickets in 2024. India’s R. Ashwin is second on the list with 46 wickets, but he is unlikely to feature in the playing XI for the upcoming match.
The second Test will begin on December 6 in Adelaide. Prior to that, India will play a 2-day warm-up game against the Prime Ministers XI in Canberra, starting November 30.
By virtue of his exceptional performance in Perth, Jaiswal made history by becoming only the second player in Test cricket (and the first Indian) after Graeme Smith to convert each of his first four centuries into scores of 150+.
The 22-year-old’s Test career started with a remarkable ton on debut against the West Indies last year, where he scored an impressive 171.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s second and third centuries came against England in February, with back-to-back Test matches in Visakhapatnam and Rajkot. He converted both centuries into double centuries, making him only the second Indian player (after Virat Kohli) to score consecutive double tons in the same series. Remarkably, no other Indian player has achieved the feat of converting their first three centuries into double centuries. Jaiswal’s consistency and record-breaking performances are setting him apart as one of the brightest young talents in Indian cricket.
