IND Vs SA: Jasprit Bumrah is the best fast bowler in Test cricket? Check details
Jasprit Bumrah, India’s ace fast bowler, once again showed why he is regarded as the best fast bowler of the current era. A two-match Test series between India and South Africa began on November 14, and the first Test is currently being played at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This match also marks the return of Test cricket to the venue after a long gap of six years.
On the very first day, India’s bowlers dismantled South Africa’s batting lineup for just 159 runs. Jasprit Bumrah took yet another five-wicket haul, laying a strong foundation for India’s victory. With this performance, he also secured his 15th Test 5-fer. With five wickets on a surface when India used four spinners, Bumrah showed himself to be an extraordinary bowler, which is why he is regarded as the greatest bowler of this era.
Before this India vs South Africa two-match test series, he played the T20I series against Australia during the India tour of Australia 2025. He managed to pick up only 3 wickets in 3 innings, but his impressive economy rate of just 6.58 showed that no Australian batter found it easy to score against him.
In his most recent assignment, a two-match Test series against the West Indies, he picked up seven wickets in four innings. As it is well known that batters tend to avoid taking chances against him, he finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker of the series, behind Kuldeep Yadav (12 wickets), Mohammed Siraj (10 wickets), and Ravindra Jadeja (8 wickets).
Jasprit Bumrah is considered the biggest match-winner in the current Indian team. All Indian cricket fans remember what he did against Pakistan during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and against South Africa in the finals of the tournament. However, he has also been having some fitness issues, which have previously kept him from taking part in some important competitions and games. He is, nevertheless, the greatest bowler of the modern era.
Jasprit Bumrah’s International Career
Jasprit Bumrah made his Test debut in 2018 against South Africa. Within a few months, he became the leader of the bowling attack, which demonstrates his hunger and passion for bowling. So far, he has played 50 Test matches and has taken 215 wickets, including fifteen 5-wicket hauls. He has been the No. 1-ranked Test bowler in the ICC bowling rankings since 7 February 2024.
Bumrah’s best Test performance came during the Border–Gavaskar Trophy 2024 series against Australia, where he took 32 wickets in 9 innings, the highest in the history of the BGT. In that series, he looked like the sole warrior for the Indian team. He gave his best, but unfortunately suffered back spasms during the last Test match. He missed the second innings of that match and the Champions Trophy 2025 as well. Despite his 32 wickets, India lost the series 3–1. To avoid injury setbacks, he now plays only the most crucial matches and series for India.
