Incredible Cricket Achievements -Bumrah Breaks Record and Mandhana Becomes the First Woman to Achieve History

Cricket is always astounding the world with its riveting stories and astonishing milestones. Be it Jasprit Bumrah rewriting the benchmarks of bowling or Smriti Mandhana breaking records in women's cricket, here's a detailed look at these remarkable achievements.

Jasprit Bumrah's Record-Breaking 200th Test Wicket

Jasprit Bumrah is the first Indian speedster to reach 200 wickets in Test cricket, and his achievement of taking his 200th wicket in the fourth Test at Melbourne to pip the competitor, Australia, in the series, is nothing short of extraordinary. At the time of reaching this landmark, Bumrah boasted an enviable bowling average of 19.42, a feat unparalleled in the history of Test cricket.

No other bowler has taken an average below 20 after having taken their 200th Test wicket. The closest is the legendary Joel Garner, who had an average of 20.34 when he reached this milestone. Garner ended his career with 259 wickets at an average of 20.97. South Africa's Shaun Pollock briefly had an average under 20 (19.86) after his 50th Test but eventually finished his career with 421 wickets at 23.11.

Bumrah produced the landmark wicket of Travis Head, which goes on to add one more chapter to his legacy as one of cricket's most impactful bowlers. His showing in Australia will only further the claim to one of the modern game's greats.

Evolution of the Australian Test XI-An Unusual Composition

In Melbourne, Australia played an unusual pattern of fourth Test XI against India. There was a teenager: Sam Konstas, 19 years old; and ten players thirty years of age or more. The pattern continued in the last Test at Sydney, when the debutant was Beau Webster born in December, 1993, pushing the average age above thirty.

This is one of the rarest compositions of a Test team comprising players above thirty years of age. New Zealand has fielded similar teams in Tests against Pakistan and England in late 2022 and early 2023. England also had an all-thirty-plus XI during the 1921 Ashes at Headingley, with Vallance Jupp being the youngest of the lot.

Smriti Mandhana's Record-Breaking Year in Women's Cricket

Extraordinary performances were witnessed in women's cricket in 2024 from Smriti Mandhana and Laura Wolvaardt. The year ended with Mandhana's 1659 international runs, making her surpass Laura Wolvaardt's 1593 runs to set a new record for the most runs in a calendar year across formats.

In fact, Wolvaardt had already surpassed Nat Sciver-Brunt's record of 1346 runs since 2022 for England. Wolvaardt scored 223 runs in Tests and 697 runs in ODIs and 673 runs in T20Is, but Mandhana caught up with her in December scoring 149 runs in Tests, 747 runs in ODIs, and 763 runs in T20Is. Mandhana also features in the fourth and fifth places on the all-time list with 1291 runs in 2018 and 1290 runs in 2022.

For England, Sciver-Brunt remains their leading scorer in a calendar year, though Sophia Dunkley took over the second place in 2022 with 1093 runs. Maia Bouchier also came into the limelight in 2024 with 974 runs, including a century on her Test debut against South Africa in Bloemfontein.

Brian Bennett-Historic Feat In Test Cricket

It is Brian Bennett who scripted his own name in the history books as the Zimbabwean became the first batsman ever to score a maiden Test century and claim a maiden five-wicket haul in the same match, his second Test. Zimbabwe took a high-scoring draw from Afghanistan in Bulawayo. Bennett scored 110 not out and grabbed 5 for 95.

This is an extraordinary feat, putting Bennett in the elite class. Only Jack Gregory (1921) and Roston Chase (2016) achieved this feat in their second Test. Bennett's feat is even more remarkable as he is the youngest player to achieve this feat, breaking Bruce Taylor's record from 1965.

Bennett also entered the elite club of players who have achieved the feat of scoring a century and taking five wickets in an innings in the same Test. This list includes the greats like Ian Botham with five instances and R. Ashwin four instances.

First-Class Debuts in Tests-A Rare Phenomenon-

In the Bulawayo Test against Afghanistan, six players made their Test debut as Zimbabwe and Afghanistan clashed. Incidentally, for two of the players, the debut was that of a first-class match for both Newman Nyamhuri of Zimbabwe and Allah Ghazanfar of Afghanistan. Theirs is indeed one of the few debuts in Test history since 1900.

One notable example, before 1900, has been seen with Audley Miller from England along with Joseph Willoughby of South Africa together playing for Port Elizabeth in the year 1896. And as far recent instances are considered, it comes as a small reason that a limited first class structure of Cricket from Ireland did add two new players to its record in 2023.

Unrelenting Fascination about Cricket's Record

Such moments inspire awe and admiration in the game's rich history of cricket. A record-breaking journey by Jasprit Bumrah, a historic year for Smriti Mandhana, and rapid rise for Brian Bennett remind the world of how much potential this game has in store. With their continued push for boundaries, cricket fans are given stories across generations that forever mark the game.