Waqar Younis, former Pakistan captain, called Jasprit Bumrah the 234‑wicket white‑ball king, yet he points out the fast bowler still has Tests to prove himself.
BUMRAH’S RECORD IS HARD TO ARGUE WITH—50 wickets in just 11 Tests, 100 in 24, a 2019 hat‑trick, and the 2024 ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award.
STILL, YOUNIS REMINDS THAT BUMRAH HAS ONLY 52 TEST MATCHES TO HIS NAME, VERSUS MITCHELL STARC’S 70, JOSH HAZLEWOOD’S 60, AND SEVERAL ENGLAND PACERS. INJURIES AND WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT HAVE KEPT HIM OUT OF INDIA’S RECENT TEST LINEUP.
YOUNIS DIDN’T FORGET THE 2024 T20 WORLD CUP WIN IN NEW YORK, WHERE BUMRAH’S SPELL—SPECIALLY THE WICKET OF MOHAMMAD RIZWAN—TURNED A 120‑RUN TARGET INTO A SIX‑RUN TRIUMPH.
WITH INDIA HEADING TO A TWO‑MATCH TEST SERIES IN NEW ZEALAND, BUMRAH’S RETURN COULD BE DECADENT FOR THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL SPOT.
INDIA’S NEXT TEST CHALLENGE WILL TEST WHETHER BUMRAH CAN TRANSLATE HIS WHITE‑BALL BRILLIANCE INTO RED‑BALL DOMINANCE.