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Jasprit Bumrah vs Steve Smith: How Has Indian Spearhead Made Aussie Great His Bunny?

Debashis Sarangi

Bumrah dismissed Smith once again [Source: @messi_blinder/X, @Jaspritbumrah93/X]Bumrah dismissed Smith once again [Source: @messi_blinder/X, @Jaspritbumrah93/X]

India's ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah once again proved too hot to handle for Steve Smith, dismissing the talismanic Australian batter cheaply in the ongoing second Test in Adelaide. As Australia lost their second wicket in the form of Nathan McSweeney, Smith joined Marnus Labuschagne in the middle to steady the ship for Australia. 

However, the legendary batter couldn't do much with the bat, as Bumrah dismissed him for two runs in the 41st over. It was the third time Bumrah got rid of the Aussie great, providing India with a crucial breakthrough. 

Jasprit Bumrah vs Steve Smith: What Do The Stats Say?

Balls
Runs
Dismissals
Average
13358319.3

(Bumrah vs Smith stats in Test cricket)

Renowned for his all-round bowling abilities, Bumrah has consistently created problems for Steve Smith across the formats. In fact, the right-arm pacer has dominated the veteran batter in Tests, as evidenced by the above stats. 

However, if we breakdown these numbers, Bumrah has got Smith two out of three times in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The batter averaged 52 against the Indian speedster in the purest format prior to this series. 

The Leg-Side Trap: Bumrah's Effective Strategy To Dismiss Smith

Steve Smith loves to shuffle across the stumps and capitalise on the scoring opportunities in the on-side. However, Bumrah has managed to convert his strength into his weakness, especially in the last few years. 

The Indian pacer uprooted Smith's leg stump when the first time he dismissed in Test cricket back on the 2020-21 tour. He also trapped Smith plumb in front of the stumps with a nip-backer in Perth, while outfoxing him down the leg yet again in Adelaide. 

Although Smith has effectively countered Bumrah's fourth-stump line deliveries, his slowing reflex has caused enough problems for him, reducing his success rate against the stump-line deliveries. 

Conclusion

As Bumrah has got Smith three times, it's fair to say that he has the upper hand over the Australian stalwart in Test cricket. There was a time when Smith had impressive numbers against him, but considering he is at the fag end of his career while Bumrah has reached the peak of his prowess, it's highly unlikely for Smith to turn things around in the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.