NEW DELHI: Fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was at his devastating best on Friday, producing a sensational spell of 5 for 27 to bowl out South Africa for just 159 on the opening day of the first Test at Eden Gardens. On a two-paced surface offering variable bounce, South Africa looked set for a strong total after winning the toss and reaching 57 for no loss in the 11th over. But the moment Bumrah broke through by removing both openers in quick succession, the visitors’ innings unraveled completely.South Africa went on to lose all ten wickets for just 102 runs, with their middle order crumbling under Bumrah’s unrelenting accuracy and movement off the pitch. This five-wicket haul was Bumrah’s 16th in Test cricket, a landmark that places him alongside Bhagwat Chandrasekhar on India’s all-time list. Among Indian bowlers, only legends like R Ashwin (37), Anil Kumble (35), Harbhajan Singh (25) and Kapil Dev (23) have more five-wicket hauls, highlighting Bumrah’s rapid rise in the longest format despite playing far fewer matches.
Bumrah’s 5/27 also etched his name into the record books for a different reason. He became the first fast bowler since Ishant Sharma—during the day-night Test against Bangladesh at the same venue in 2019—to claim a five-wicket haul on the opening day of a Test in India. The last pacer to do so in a traditional red-ball Test was South Africa’s Dale Steyn in Ahmedabad back in 2008. Notably, Matt Henry also picked up a five-wicket haul on what officially became the second day of the Bengaluru Test last year, after the first day was washed out.Supporting Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav struck twice each, while Axar Patel chipped in with a wicket to complete India’s dominant bowling performance.
