Jasprit Bumrah Wins ESPNcricinfo Award 2018 For Best Bowling Performance In Tests

Jasprit Bumrah was one of the architects of India’s historic Test series win in Australia. The right-arm pacer finished the series as the joint top wicket-taker as India beat Australia 2-1 to win their first-ever series on the Australian soil. The right-arm pacer picked up 21 wickets in the four-match series. The highlight of the series was his performance in the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground where he ran riot with the ball, picking-up a career-best six-wicket haul to blow away Australia. The pacer had taken 6 for 33 as India bowled out the hosts for a paltry 151 to secure a massive 292-run lead.

Australia had started the proceedings on day three on 8 for no loss in reply to India’s massive first innings total of 443 for 7 (declared).  Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch could add just 16 runs to the overnight score before Ishant Sharma accounted for Finch. 12 runs later, Bumrah opened his account when he made Harris hit a short delivery straight to Ishant at fine-leg.

Bumrah was in such a form that the much-debated and much-maligned pitch look anything but flat.

The right-arm pacer, who made his Test debut in South Africa earlier this year, went on to dismiss Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Tim Paine, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood to put India in the driver’s seat. Bumrah also achieved some personal milestones in the game. As soon as he dismissed Nathan Lyon to take his fifth wicket, he became the first Asian bowler to take a 5-fer in Australia, England and South Africa in the same calendar year.

India then set Australia a target of 399 runs. However, the hosts could manage only 261 runs with Bumrah picking 3/53 and nine wickets in the match. India went 2-1 up in the series, drew the last Test in Sydney and won their maiden Test series in Australia.

The performance in the first innings of the Melbourne Test has now been awarded the Best Test bowling performance of 2018 at ESPNcricinfo awards.

Bumrah's 6 for 33 helped India get a huge lead in the Melbourne Test

The highlight was a stunning slower yorker that got rid of Shaun Marsh

It was his third five-for of the year, and it wins the best Test bowling performance of 2018https://t.co/rzjdUfUA0V #ESPNcricinfoAwards pic.twitter.com/BqotgobUgv

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 25, 2019