India’s ace bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, stands alone with a stellar series performance

Australia clinched their first Border-Gavaskar Trophy win against India since 2014-15, after a remarkable turnaround in the 2024-25 series. Despite a crushing defeat in the opening Test at Perth, Australia rallied to win three out of the next four matches, securing a 3-1 series victory. This rare come-from-behind triumph was only the eighth instance since 1970 where Australia has won a Test series after losing the first match.

The series was an arduous challenge for the batsmen, with the average runs per dismissal across both teams standing at a mere 24.32—making it the lowest in Australia for a series of three or more matches since 1995. Of the 14 total innings under 200 runs, India was responsible for six, with Australia registering the other eight. The gruelling conditions left the batsmen struggling, and the series recorded eight such totals under 200—only two series in Australian history have seen more.

However, amidst the batter’s struggles, Jasprit Bumrah‘s exceptional bowling performance stood as a beacon of brilliance. The Indian fast bowler took 32 wickets over the five matches, with an astounding average of 13.06 and a strike rate of 28.3—figures that are a series record for any Indian bowler on foreign soil. His tally was equal to the highest ever by an Indian fast bowler in a single Test series.

While the other Indian seamers collectively took 40 wickets at an average of 34.82, Bumrah’s individual performance overshadowed his peers by a considerable margin. His wickets accounted for 40% of India’s total wickets in the series, and he bowled 24.4% of India’s overs. His presence was pivotal, and his absence in Sydney’s fourth innings proved costly as India failed to defend a modest target of 162.

Bumrah’s unparalleled series performance is noteworthy, with his ratio between his own average and the average of other Indian bowlers being the fifth-highest ever recorded for a fast bowler with 25 or more wickets in a Test series. His heroics left fans and cricket pundits alike marveling at his ability to shoulder the weight of India’s bowling attack almost single-handedly.

The Indian seamers, excluding Bumrah, had a less impressive record, with an average of 34.82 and a strike rate of 52.65 balls per wicket. With his unrelenting performance, Bumrah’s contribution to India’s bowling efforts was irreplaceable, ensuring that even though his team lost the series, his individual performance remained a rare bright spot in an otherwise challenging contest for India.