Taking 50 Test wickets in a calendar year is a huge achievement for any bowler. Test cricket tests the patience level of the bowlers because the batters do not take that many risks as compared to T20I matches. A bowler has to be really skillful to scalp wickets in this format of the game.
Hence, taking 50 wickets in the span of one year is considered a huge deal. While the Indian fans regularly see the Indian spinners on the list because of the spin-friendly conditions at home, it is rare to see a fast bowler on the list. Only three Indian pacers have accomplished this feat to date. Here’s a list of those three names.
1. Jasprit Bumrah completed 50 Test wickets in 2024 today
Earlier today at the Adelaide Oval, Indian vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah became the first bowler in 22 years to complete 50 wickets in the longest format of the game in one calendar year. Bumrah picked up the wicket of Usman Khawaja in Australia’s first innings on the first day of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Thus, he became the third pacer to complete this feat.
2. Zaheer Khan
The last fast bowler from India before Jasprit Bumrah to achieve this feat was Zaheer Khan. To date, he is the only Indian left-arm pacer to have completed 50 wickets in the longest format of the game in one calendar year. Khan achieved the feat back in the year 2002.
3. Kapil Dev
The first Indian to complete 50 Test wickets in one calendar year was the legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev. He is the only cricketer to have achieved this feat twice for India. The first time Dev finished with 50 or more wickets in a calendar year was back in 1979.
Four years later, Dev had another brilliant year with the ball in the longest format of the game. It will be interesting to see if Jasprit Bumrah can match Dev’s record by taking 50 wickets in the 2025 calendar year as well.
