5 Best Bowling Performances In India vs Australia Boxing Day Tests In BGT

Jasprit Bumrah [Source: @ICC/x]

Australia and India have produced a number of classic Border-Gavaskar Trophy battles in Boxing Day Tests. Celebrating the festive spirit of the holidays, most of these encounters have been dominated by the sheer supremacy of bowlers from either side.

Celebrating the storied history of Border-Gavaskar Trophy, here we take a look back at five of the best bowling performances demonstrated on Boxing Day Tests between the two sides, since the first-ever Test match from 1999 to date.

5. Pat Cummins 6-27, 2018

Australian pace warhorse Pat Cummins bowled 34 overs under the scorching Melbourne sun in the first innings of the 2018 Boxing Day Test against India. Up against a rebellious Cheteshwar Pujara and a defiant Mayank Agarwal, the legendary paceman picked up three hard-earned wickets as India mounted 443-7d by Day 2.

With Australia facing a huge deficit of 292 runs at the halfway stage of the match, Cummins sparked an outside chance for his team by wrecking India’s top-order. The speedster picked up four top-order wickets in the space of just eight deliveries, which included the prized-scalps of Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and then Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

4. Brett Lee 5-47, 1999

Australian legend Brett Lee received his maiden Test cap during the 1999 Border-Gavaskar Test match on Boxing Day. Aged 23 at the time, the tearaway speedster celebrated the occasion by blowing away India’s star-studded batting line-up with sheer pace and aggression. Taking field at the MCG, Lee snared his first-ever Test five-wicket haul by dismissing Rahul Dravid and then Indian opener Sadagoppan Ramesh.

In one of his return spells, the Australian cricketer mopped up the Indian tail and finished his 18-over workload with figures of 5-47.

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3. Anil Kumble 5-84, 2007

Then Indian captain Anil Kumble restricted Australia to 343 in the first innings of the series-opening 2007 Boxing Day Test after the hosts reached 135-0 around the morning session on Day 1. The legendary spinner tilted the tide back in India’s favor by getting rid of a well-set Phil Jaques and Australian number four Michael Hussey in quick succession.

Moreover, Anil Kumble also trapped perennial dangermen Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist in the space of three overs before snapping figures of 5-84 from 25 overs.

2. Ben Hilfenhaus 5-75, 2011

Forgotten Australian star Ben Hilfenhaus obliterated India’s star-studded line-up at the MCG on Boxing Day to start off the 2011-12 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series on an emphatic note for his team. After getting Gautam Gambhir with an off-stump line, Hilfenhaus toppled Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni before inducing a big nick of tailender Ishant Sharma.

His spell dented India’s prospects as the visitors slipped from 214-2 to 282 all out, allowing Australia to gain a handy 51-run lead after the first innings.

1. Jasprit Bumrah 6-33, 2018

Indian speed demon Jasprit Bumrah skittled the Australians for just 151 at the MCG in December 2018 to give his team a huge 292-run lead at the halfway stage of the match. With Australia aiming to close in on India’s 443-7d, Bumrah trapped Marcus Harris before snaring Shaun Marsh with one of the best slower deliveries ever seen in recent memory.

The speedster also bagged the key Australian wickets of Travis Head, Tim Paine and tailenders Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood to seal astonishing figures of 6-33 from just 15.5 overs.

Bumrah further picked up three more wickets in the second Australian innings, including that of Aaron Finch, as Team India won the match by 137 runs.

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