Bumrah And...? 3 India Stars Who Headlined In BGT 2024-25 With Heroics Down Under

Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah and Yashasvi Jaiswal in BGT(AP Photos)Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah and Yashasvi Jaiswal in BGT(AP Photos)

India's journey in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) was a rollercoaster of highs and lows, marked by moments of brilliance and unfortunate setbacks. The tour began with optimism as India clinched a thrilling win in Perth, fueling hopes of retaining the prestigious trophy. 

However, a shift in team dynamics with the return of Rohit Sharma saw the visitors lose the second Test, levelling the series 1-1. Despite these challenges, India's tour was illuminated by individual magic. Jasprit Bumrah continued to lead from the front, showcasing his resilience with ball and occasionally with the bat. 

India's young-guns, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy also emerged as promising stars, with their performances offering glimpses of the future. Although India’s pursuit of a third consecutive World Test Championship final ended in heartbreak, the emergence of these young talents provided a silver lining amidst the defeat.

In this article, let us take a look at how these stars have performed in the five-match Border Gavaskar Trophy:

1) Jasprit Bumrah 

Despite missing out on playing at the spicy wicket of Sydney Cricket Ground due to fitness issues, Bumrah emerged as a star for the visitors. Having picked up 32 wickets in nine innings at 13.06, he finished the series as the Player of the Series. He equalled the record most wickets in an India vs Australia Test series, matching Harbhajan Singh's tally from the 2000/01 series. 

Bumrah also surpassed Bishen Singh Bedi’s record for most wickets by an Indian in Australia, with 31 wickets during the 1977/78 tour. The 31-year-old's match-hauls included 8/72 in Perth, 4/63 in Adelaide, 9/94 in Brisbane, and 9/156 in Melbourne. 

2) Yashasvi Jaiswal

Showcasing signs of excellence at the ripe age of 22 years, Yashasvi Jaiswal earns the second spot in this list for his phenomenal performance against the Aussies. Whether, it was sledging Mitchell Starc in his very first Test match on the foreign soil or slamming a solid 161, Jaiswal continued to impress viewers with his skill. 

Although, he had his fair share of low scores in this Tour, scoring two ducks, he did bow out of the series as the highest run-scorer from the Indian side. At such a young age, the stunner took it upon himself to take the responsibility to slam runs for India, when other batters were not on their best days. From 10 innings, Jaiswal scored 391 runs at a strike-rate of 52.42.

3) Nitish Kumar Reddy

Lastly Nitish Kumar Reddy, who might have had a forgetful final Test match after departing for a duck and then four runs, but was a true star for the Indian team in the first four Test matches. His crucial cameos and a record-breaking century at No.8 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground have shown his grit and hunger to perform for India at the biggest stage of all.

A star in T20 cricket, Nitish converted his play of style effortlessly in Test cricket as he welcomed the Australian bowlers with a smile on his face and helped India get out of the mud on more than one occasion. He finished the series with 298 runs from nine innings at an excellent strike rate of 64.22. He also picked up five wickets.