Bumrah and test cricket : A love story that ends well….. ALWAYS.

When you play a test match in India, the sure thing  is that you will more or less get a dust bowl disguised as a cricketing wicket. Over the years, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have all bowled memorable spells on Indian turners and have been instrumental in famous Indian wins.

The fast bowlers have had their share of memories too but less, as compared to the spinners until Jasprit Bumrah burst on to the scene. Interestingly, the first test Bumrah played in India was in 2022. It was the pink ball test against Sri Lanka and unsurprisingly, he made his presence felt straight away. 

Over the years, Bumrah has always been India’s mainstay on SENA tours. Melbourne, Lords, Cape town, Auckland, India has always has over reliant on Bumrah and the veteran has always proved his worth in gold. 

But Kolkata has been a spinner friendly wicket. And on Friday, Bumrah was as usual, UNPLAYABLE. Rickelton got a beauty, Markram was bounced off and the rest got three peaches, giving him his 16th 5fer in test cricket.

As the two South Africans walked off following the umpire's decision, Bumrah stood in the middle of the pitch, both his arms raised in celebration for his fifer. His teammates, who've seen this movie play out so often in the last few years, swarmed him anyway. The Kolkata crowd, meanwhile, was on its feet, applauding the man who accentuated the return of Test cricket to these corners after six long years.