"This series will eventually be remembered for Jasprit Bumrah" - Aakash Chopra lauds seamer's BGT 2024-25 performances

Aakash Chopra reckons the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 will be remembered for Jasprit Bumrah irrespective of the result of the series. He noted that the Indian seamer has performed like a wizard in the first four Tests of the ongoing series.

Bumrah registered figures of 4/56 in 24 overs as Australia ended Day 4 (Sunday, December 29) of the fourth Test against India in Melbourne at 228/9 in their second innings. The hosts head into the final day with a 333-run lead, with Nathan Lyon (41* off 54) and Scott Boland (10* off 65) the unbeaten batters at the crease.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener praised Bumrah for his performance on Sunday and throughout the series.

"Jassi jaisa koi nahin. What a bowler he is. A magician, who can do anything, a wizard, Jasprit Bumrah is alone that guy. Sam Konstas did something in the first innings. Jasprit Bumrah conceded 34 runs in a spell and 19 runs in an over. Here he bowled an inswinger and hit his stumps," he said (1:30).

"That was just the start. In fact, the way he is bowling in this whole series, we don't know which way this BGT will go, this series will eventually be remembered for Jasprit Bumrah, the result notwithstanding because it's very rare that a bowler like this comes to Australian shores and bowls like this consistently," Chopra added.

Chopra highlighted the difficulties faced by seamers in Australian conditions.

"Doing well in a Test match or two innings, or against three or four batters, that can still happen. However, we say that these Australian pitches are slightly difficult both for batters and bowlers. There is slight help for fast bowlers but the grounds are very heavy. Your joints start aching but he has taken nearly 30 wickets," he observed.

Jasprit Bumrah has picked up 29 wickets at an outstanding average of 13.24 in eight innings in BGT 2024-25. Mohammed Siraj (16) is the only other Indian bowler to account for more than five dismissals in the series.

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"The truth is that he doesn't get that much help from the other end" - Aakash Chopra on Jasprit Bumrah

Travis Head became Jasprit Bumrah's 200th victim in Tests. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Jasprit Bumrah has virtually been India's lone warrior with the ball in the ongoing BGT.

"He has been absolutely sensational. He is unbelievable. Many times, it seemed like Jassi alone is on one side and everyone else is on the other, that he is carrying the team alone and no one else is able to support him. The truth is that he doesn't get that much help from the other end," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that an Indian bowler has rarely been as dominant in an away series.

"Words fail us. Indian cricket is very fortunate that a batter comes at times seeing whom you say 'wow', and then you get a bowler like that suddenly. We have seen batters dominating but I can't remember the last time a bowler went to foreign shores and performed like this," Chopra observed.

Bumrah has picked up 202 wickets at an average of 19.51 in 44 Tests. He is the only bowler with 200-plus Test wickets to have an average lesser than 20.