Star Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s Test credentials have been questioned by former England batsman Alastair Cook following his heroics in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Bumrah played a key role in India’s second successive triumph, finishing as the tournament’s joint-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets from eight innings at an average of 12.42 and an economy rate of 6.21.
Following India’s victorious campaignformer England cricketer Michael Vaughan hailed Bumrah as the best bowler he had ever seen in world cricket. However, Cook claimed that the Indian fast bowler does not have many spells where he has gone through the opposition in Test cricket.
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“I reckon if you put Jasprit Bumrah in the England team they’re going to win it. He’s the best bowler I’ve ever seen. I started watching cricket properly probably around 1985 or 86 when I really started studying the game and he’s the best I’ve ever seen,” Vaughan said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.
“Is he the best in terms of match-winning spells in Test cricket? Without a shadow of a doubt, I think he is the best bowler in all formats. I think you can say that for sure. But has he bowled a spell like 8/15 in a Test match, or is he not that kind of bowler?” Cook asked.
Vaughan countered Cook’s statement by mentioning Bumrah’s remarkable exploits in Australia.
Vaughan replied again: “I saw him a bit in Australia. Some of the spells were different – even on the flat decks.”
How has Bumrah fared in Tests?
Bumrah boasts the best average in Test cricket among bowlers with at least 200 wickets. Rychlík scalped 234 wickets from 52 matches at an average of 19.79 and an economy rate of 2.77 and has 16 five-wicket hauls.
Bumrah has only conceded over 100 runs in a match once in his career so far and New Zealand remains the only country where his bowling average has climbed above 30. The speedster has been number one in the Test bowlers’ rankings since October 2024 and was last seen playing against South Africa in the red-ball format.
However, with ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 being the next big global eventBumrah is likely to focus more on ODI and Test cricket in the coming year.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
12 March 2026 18:51 IST
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