Indian pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah recently shared a memorable moment on social media with legendary South African fast bowler Dale Steyn. On Sunday, November 10, Bumrah posted a picture on Instagram, captioned simply as:
“Goat” 🐐
This casual interaction highlights the mutual respect between two of the finest fast bowlers of their generations. Steyn, revered as one of the greatest pacers in cricket history, retired in 2021 after an illustrious career that saw him dominate Test cricket. With 439 wickets in 93 Tests, Steyn remains South Africa’s all-time leading wicket-taker in the format, known for his lethal pace, swing, and ability to dismantle batting line-ups across all conditions. He also made significant contributions in white-ball cricket, taking 196 wickets in 125 ODIs and 64 wickets in 47 T20Is.
Bumrah’s Recent Form and Upcoming Challenge
Bumrah’s last appearance came in the three-match Test series against New Zealand, where he managed to take three wickets in the first two games. Unfortunately, he missed the final match due to a viral illness, as India suffered a disappointing 3-0 whitewash in the series.
Despite the recent setback, Bumrah is gearing up for a crucial assignment — the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The five-match Test series, starting on November 22 in Perth, will be a must-win for India if they hope to secure a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. India needs at least a 4-0 series win to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Bumrah’s Record vs. Australia
Jasprit Bumrah has been a standout performer in previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy series held in Australia. In his last seven Test matches against the Aussies on their home soil, Bumrah has taken 32 wickets, including a memorable five-wicket haul. His ability to extract bounce and seam movement makes him a formidable threat, and he will be expected to lead the Indian bowling attack alongside Mohammed Siraj and all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
India’s 18-Member Squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Here is the full squad for the upcoming Test series against Australia:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Jasprit Bumrah (vc)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Abhimanyu Easwaran
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- KL Rahul
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Dhruv Jurel (wk)
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Mohammed Siraj
- Akash Deep
- Prasidh Krishna
- Harshit Rana
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Washington Sundar
Looking Ahead
The upcoming series will be a crucial test for India, especially after a disappointing outing in New Zealand. Bumrah’s form and fitness will be vital for the team as they look to dominate Australia on their home turf. Fans will be eager to see if Bumrah can draw inspiration from legends like Dale Steyn and deliver another stellar performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
