Ranking the top 5 best spells from BGT 2024-25 ft. Jasprit Bumrah 

Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade as they defeated India in the final Test at Sydney by six wickets to finish the series 3-1 in their favor. In a hard-fought series, Jasprit Bumrah’s absence on the final day of the Test series proved pivotal as Australia chased down the target of 162 with consummate ease.

India started the series with a bang, defeating Australia by a massive margin of 295 runs in Perth before the hosts turned the tables around and eventually registered a 3-1 series win after victories in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. The hosts stamped their authority after a below-par showing in the first Test and were by far the better team for longer periods.

The bowling units of both teams made the series one of the most intriguing ones in the recent past. While India was overly reliant on Bumrah, who finished the series as the leading wicket-taker with 32 scalps, it was more of a joint effort from Australia's pace quartet.

Scott Boland, who is regarded as the cult hero in the country, took down India in the three Tests he played in the series while the likes of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc provided wickets at crucial junctures of the game which eventually helped Australia dominate the series.

With the series having culminated, let us now rank five of the top spells from the series:

# 5. Pat Cummins- 5/57 in Adelaide

Pat Cummins was the second highest wicket-taker of the series. Source: Getty

The Australian captain finished the series as the second leading wicket-taker behind Bumrah with 25 scalps to his name. After receiving a thrashing at the hands of India in Perth, Cummins and Co. bounced back strongly in Adelaide and leveled the series 1-1 with a resounding win in the pink ball Test.

After bowling out India for just 180 in the first innings, Australia batted brilliantly and took a 157-run lead to stamp their authority in the game. Cummins showed his class in the second innings, bagging his first fifer of the series. He never allowed the Indian batters to settle themselves and kept relentlessly coming at them.

He started with the wicket of KL Rahul and once he settled into his lengths, there was no looking back. Cummins then broke through the Indian lower middle order and the lower order, bagging the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana to trigger India’s collapse for the second time in the match. Australia eventually chased the target of 19 runs with 10 wickets in hand.

# 4. Mitchell Starc- 6/48 in Adelaide

Mitchell Starc celebrates taking the wicket of Virat Kohli in Adelaide. Source: Getty

The left-arm speedster wasn't at his absolute best throughout the series but had glimpses of his prowess during the series. It included a sensational spell with the pink ball in the first innings of the Adelaide Test, which broke India’s backbone.

Starc’s record in day-night Tests has been staggering and he didn't disappoint this time either. He swung the ball both ways and his lengths proved to be ideal for the surface. He kept persisting with the fuller-length deliveries and finished with figures of 6/48 to skittle India out for just 180 runs.

He bagged the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal off the very first ball of the match and kept going from strength to strength. He induced the edge of KL Rahul before nicking off Virat Kohli to put India in a precarious situation. They could never really recover from there as Starc ran through the lower order, finishing with six wickets to orchestrate Australia’s win.

# 3. Scott Boland- 6/45 in Sydney

Scott Boland was at his supreme best during the three Tests he played. Source: Getty

Scott Boland would have featured in the playing XI of any other Test teams regularly. However, the presence of the famed trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood has limited his Test career. Whenever the opportunity has been presented, Boland has come out all guns blazing and it was no different in this series.

In the final Test in Sydney, the cult hero finished with six wickets in the second innings and played a pivotal role in restricting India to a score of 157 in the second innings. He started India’s slide with a booming inswinger which went through the gate of KL Rahul. Boland then produced another pearler to castle the timbers of Yashasvi Jaiswal.

There was no stopping Boland as he soon removed Virat Kohli with a length that he was uncomfortable facing all through the series. The tail couldn't wag in front of a relentless Boland as he finished with the wickets of Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah to help Australia register a 6-wicket victory.

# 2. Jasprit Bumrah- 5/57 in Melbourne

Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged the Player of the Series. Source: Getty

Despite India losing the series by a 3-1 margin, it was Jasprit Bumrah who was the stand-out bowler of the series and also bagged the Player of the Series Award. He was the stand-out bowler for India all through the series and produced a spell to remember in Melbourne to help India bounce back strongly in the game.

The visitors conceded a lead of 105 runs but it was Bumrah’s magical spell in the second innings which turned the game upside down. After getting some stick at the hands of Sam Konstas in the first innings, Bumrah went through the defense of the 19-year-old which brought out a celebration that we hardly associate with the speedster.

He then cracked the game open with wickets of Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey to reduce the Aussies to 91/6. He kept coming at the Australian batters but didn't get enough support at the other end, allowing the hosts to post 234 in the second innings. Bumrah’s valiant efforts went in vain as Australia registered an 184-run win.

# 1. Jasprit Bumrah- 5/30 in Perth

While there were so many memorable spells from Bumrah in the series, his magical spell in Perth was a sight to behold for every Test cricket fan especially due to the situation India was in. The visitors were bowled out for a paltry 150 in the first innings and it looked like Australia would gain ascendancy by the end of Day 1.

However, Bumrah had other ideas as he breezed past the Australian top and middle order with a spell for the ages. He trapped Nathan McSweeney early on in the innings before nicking off Usman Khawaja in the slip cordon. The biggest scalp of the day was of Steve Smith whom Bumrah dismissed for a golden duck with a delivery which shaped back in late.

There was no stopping the No. 1 fast bowler in the world as he kept producing magical deliveries one after the other. His performance also helped the other bowlers like Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana raise their game as India bowled out Australia for just 104 runs. His stupendous spell helped India take a 1-0 lead in the series with a resounding 295-run win.