"Almost like genie, you make a wish and you get it" - Former India batter applauds Jasprit Bumrah over sensational performance in BGT 2024-25

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar lavished praise on lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah, comparing him to a genie who grants wishes. He compared the Indian pacer to fast bowling legends like Curtly Ambrose and Malcolm Marshall.

Bumrah was, yet again, the standout bowler for India on Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne on Sunday, December 29. He registered figures of 4-56 in 24 overs, getting the scalps of Sam Konstas, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey.

Bumrah's sensational spell reduced Australia to 91-6 in their second innings before Marnus Labuschagne (70), Pat Cummins (41) and Nathan Lyon (41*) led an admirable fightback for the hosts. They recovered to reach 228-9 by stumps.

Speaking to Star Sports while discussing proceedings on Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test, Manjrekar was in awe of Bumrah. Praising the right-arm pacer, he said: (as quoted by The Times of India):

"There's just no weakness this man has. It's almost like he is this genie that Indian cricket have brought as a gift and you make a wish and you get it. And it's always Bumrah providing it, be it T20 cricket World Cup or 50 over World Cup, or it's a match like this, crucial game on a page where a lot of the bowlers struggle to get anything out of it. He was getting lateral movement.

"He's cleaned up Alex Carey, as if, he's a number 10, 11 batter. He just had two balls in that spell left. You knew he wasn't going to bowl more than two balls, and he nailed Alex Carey there as well. And when you look at the average, I mean, this is unbelievable," the 59-year-old added.

Comparing the Indian pacer to West Indies legends like Ambrose and Marshall, Manjrekar opined that Bumrah's numbers are mind-boggling. He elaborated:

"We talk about Curtly Ambrose. I had the privilege of playing against Malcolm Marshall. Now those are great names, and an average of under 20 after 200 wickets is just mind-boggling stuff from Jasprit Bumrah."

Bumrah completed 200 wickets in Test cricket on Day 4 of the MCG Test. He is the first bowler to reach 200 Test scalps at an average of under 20.

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Jasprit Bumrah's brilliant performance in BGT 2024-25

Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker in BGT 2024-25 by some distance. He has claimed 29 scalps so far at an average of 13.24, with two five-fers and three four-fers. Australia captain Cummins is second on the list, with 17 wickets at an average of 25. He is followed by Mohammed Siraj, who has claimed 16 scalps at an average of 31.19.