- “He still has a lot to prove in Tests” – Waqar Younis on Jasprit Bumrah’s red-ball career. Pakistan legend Waqar Younis acknowledges Bumrah’s white-ball dominance but questions his Test credentials in a podcast discussion.
- Jasprit Bumrah (Photo by Robert Cianflone/) Jasprit Bumrah is one of the world’s best white-ball bowlers in modern cricket and commands respect across all formats and nations.
- Players from Australia, South Africa, England and beyond rank him among the best in the game.
“He still has a lot to prove in Tests” – Waqar Younis on Jasprit Bumrah’s red-ball career. Pakistan legend Waqar Younis acknowledges Bumrah’s white-ball dominance but questions his Test credentials in a podcast discussion.
Jasprit Bumrah (Photo by Robert Cianflone/) Jasprit Bumrah is one of the world’s best white-ball bowlers in modern cricket and commands respect across all formats and nations. Players from Australia, South Africa, England and beyond rank him among the best in the game. But Pakistan legend Waqar Younis drew a clear distinction between Bumrah’s dominance in limited-overs cricket and his stature in the longer format.
In a podcast conversation with Shubhankar Mishra, Younis gave a candid assessment of the Indian pacer’s career. He acknowledged Bumrah’s unparalleled influence in T20 and one-day cricket while questioning whether the fast bowler has established himself as a Test playing force. “There is no modern bowler of the same caliber as Bumrah with the white ball.
Leave out Test cricket. He still has a lot to prove in testing. He didn’t play that much,” Younis said while speaking on the Shubhankar Mishra podcast.
“There are many others like Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. You also can’t ignore some of the English bowlers. But when you talk about T20 and one-day cricket, I feel Bumrah always delivers in terms of impact in critical scenarios.
And that’s what matters,” he added. Why did Bumrah’s Test career remain limited? Bumrah’s Test career remained limited due to a combination of injury problems and workload management decisions.
The pacer was often rested in sub-continental assignments, reducing his chances of building a solid red-ball record. This selective proach to his Test participation has resulted in him playing fewer games compared to his white-ball pearances. Despite these limitations, Bumrah took 234 wickets in 52 Tests at an average of 19.7, becoming the fastest Indian pacer to take 150 Test wickets in just 34 matches, a milestone achieved by Waqar Younis himself in 27 Tests.
Younis highlighted Bumrah’s crucial role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup, particularly in a moment that changed the course of a crucial match against Pakistan. Mohammad Rizwan’s dismissal during that tournament proved crucial to the outcome of the competition in New York. Bumrah was named player of the tournament with 15 wickets and an economy rate of 4.17.
“When an Indian team is in trouble, they always give the ball to Bumrah. Pakistan had nothing to lose in New York. “The required rate was well controlled,” Younis said.
“What led to Bumrah firing Rizwan was the difference. Impact players are key players. “A top player can motivate others who also feel that we have to do justice to them,” he added.
Younis’ comments highlighted the difference between Bumrah’s proven white-ball excellence and the incompleteness of his Test legacy. While the Indian pacer had consistently performed well in limited, high-pressure passing situations, his qualities as a red-ball player remained a subject of ongoing assessment. Bumrah’s career in Test cricket has continued to evolve. The pacer recently completed 200 Test wickets and became the fastest Indian pacer to reach this milestone in 44 games, surpassing Kil Dev’s record of 50 games.
