BGT 2024-25: Bumrah, Jadeja to continue milestone hunt during MCG Test

Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja are all set to continue their milestone hunt during the fourth Test against Australia at Melbourne starting from Thursday onwards, with the bowler chasing 200 Test scalps and the veteran all-rounder also near the 600 wicket mark in international cricket.

With the series level at 1-1, both sides will be playing the much-anticipated Boxing Day Test intending to secure an all-important series lead needed to push a case for the ICC World Test Championship final. Bumrah is just six wickets away from achieving 200 Test scalps and becoming the 12th Indian bowler to do so. Currently, in 43 Tests, Bumrah has taken 194 wickets at an average of 19.52, with best bowling figures of 6/27 and 12 five-wicket hauls.

Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker in the series so far and has been head and shoulders above all in terms of consistency, having taken 21 wickets in three matches at an average of 10.90, with best figures of 6/76 and two five-wicket hauls to his name.

Against Australia, he has taken 53 wickets in 10 Tests at an average of 17.15, with three five-wicket hauls and best figures of 6/33. Coming to Jadeja, he is seven wickets away from 600 international wickets and becoming only the fifth Indian bowler to reach the landmark. In 349 international matches, he has taken 593 wickets at an average of 29.04, with 17 five-wicket hauls to his name and best figures of 7/42.

While he has been wicketless in this series against Australia in this series, he has a fine record against Australia. In 18 Tests against them, he has taken 89 wickets at an average of 20.35, with best figures of 7/42. He has taken five five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket-haul.

Australia XI: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

India's squad for fourth and fifth Tests: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal, Tanush Kotian. (ANI)