Gilchrist Hails Bumrah as the Don Bradman of Bowling

Former Australia captain Adam Gilchrist praises Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah by comparing him with the legendary Aussie cricketer Don Bradman. 

Surprisingly, the leading wicket takers in test cricket history, such as Muttiah Muralitharan and James Anderson, weren’t compared to the ‘Don of Cricket’. 

While Bradman set higher standards in batting, Gilchrist picked Bumrah as his counterpart in the bowling department.

Team India’s speedster made a remarkable comeback after recovering from a back injury. He has been in tremendous form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and spearheads the pace bowling attack of the Mumbai Indians (MI). 

‘He Comes Under This Category’: Adam Gilchrist About Jasprit Bumrah

Pointing out Bumrah’s exceptional numbers, Gilchrist was impressed with the 31-year-old’s performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 and justifies him as the Don Bradman of bowling: 

“Yes! He might be the fastest bowler, perhaps the best bowler of all time. Once you start adding up statistics and performance in different playing conditions, he is much better than other bowlers in the world. 

I mean, just look at Sir Donald Bradman’s numbers compared to his fellow mates. He was so far ahead at that time. Likewise, I believe Bumrah comes under this category, whose ability to adapt and succeed on different pitches and conditions makes him stand out. Also, he boasts impressive numbers than his peers. So, this proves that we are watching one a true greatness. 

I don’t think India had a seamer like Bumrah, who consistently performs, especially in the home series back in the Australian summer. We sat and watched the contest with astonishment, commenting on the matches. But I knew it was a different format, and he is one of the best all-format bowlers in the world, and there wouldn’t be much to debate about it,” the three-time Australian World Cup-winning captain said. 

Although India lost the BGT with a 1-3 scoreline, Bumrah concluded as the leading wicket-taker of the 5-match test series, tallying upto 32 wickets in 9 innings at an average of 13.06 and an economy of 2.76. 

Jasprit Bumrah Performance in IPL 2025 

Despite being unavailable for MI’s first four matches of IPL 2025, Bumrah bowled 168 balls (28 overs) and bagged 7 wickets in 7 matches, averaging at 17.72 and an economy of 6.96. 

Also, he bowled 69 dot balls, which averages nearly 10 dot balls per match (updated as of May 05). This is an exceptional record compared to other bowlers having an economy below 8. 

Is Bumrah the Don Bradman of Bowling? Final Opinion!

Although Gilchrist made a bold comparison of Bumrah to Sir Bradman, it makes sense due to strong statistics. 

Moreover, Bradman’s test average of nearly 100 (99.94) remains unbeaten so far by any cricketer. Notably, his performance is much better than other batsmen who played more than 10 test matches, averaging above 65. Similarly, Bumrah continues to perform at a higher level than his competitors across all formats (Tests, T20Is, and ODIs). 

Currently, the right-arm Indian pace bowler with 205 wickets in 45 test matches, ranks behind the highest wicket takers of the longest format: 

• Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka): 800 wickets
• Shane Warne (Australia): 708 wickets
• James Anderson (England): 704 wickets

However, his bowling average of less than 20 (19.40) is outstanding compared to other bowlers who bagged 200+ scalps in this format. 

Even if Jasprit Bumrah isn’t crowned as the “Bradman of bowling” in cricket history, he established his legacy as the “G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) of fast bowlers”.