Adam Gilchrist Praises Jasprit Bumrah: “He Would Have Torn Through Bradman at His Peak in a Matter of Balls”
In 2024, Jasprit Bumrah claimed 71 wickets at an average of 14.93, continuing to raise his performance levels, particularly in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Regardless of the situation or the batter he faced, Bumrah consistently appeared poised to take a wicket every spell.
Adam Gilchrist, the former Australian cricketer, took his praise of Bumrah a step further, suggesting that Bumrah could have “ripped” through Don Bradman at his peak, referring to the legendary cricketer’s Test batting average of 99.94.
When asked to rate Bumrah, Gilchrist replied, “I’m not rating him; there’s no number that can accurately reflect his standing in world sport.” He added, “He would have torn through Bradman’s peak in a matter of balls. Bradman’s average would have been much lower than 99. You can’t give him a reward that’s too high.” During the Melbourne Test, Gilchrist also praised Bumrah, saying, “It’s a different ball game, a different planet that Bumrah is playing on compared to everyone else.”
Bumrah’s remarkable achievements, including surpassing 200 wickets at an average below 20, have earned him admiration from former Australian cricketers, who’ve even compared him to the West Indies greats of the past. Although Australia’s batters faced similar challenges against Bumrah, India’s inconsistency across their lineup was more evident. Australia’s top order (positions 1-7) averaged 28.79, while India’s top order averaged 24.67. The key difference came in the number of match-winning knocks, with Australia registering four centuries and eight fifties, compared to two centuries and six fifties for India. The tail-enders also contributed more, with Australia’s positions 9-11 averaging 15, while India’s tail-enders averaged just 9.64.
No fast bowler has outwitted modern batsmen as consistently as Bumrah over the years. His wicket-taking efficiency in any given set of 50 games would stand up to comparison with any bowler. Remarkably, his bowling average has never exceeded 24, and his strike rate has never gone above 37, both extraordinary feats for a bowler at his peak.
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