Jasprit Bumrah Becomes Fourth Indian Cricketer To Score A Duck On His Birthday In Test Match

Jasprit Bumrah, India's renowned fast bowler, joined a rare group during the Pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide on December 6. This match marked an unusual milestone in his career.

The day started with optimism for India but ended with Bumrah becoming the fourth Indian cricketer to be dismissed for a duck in a Test match on his birthday. This unique occurrence added an unexpected twist to the game.

India chose to bat first after winning the toss in this day-night Test. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal on the first ball set a challenging tone. Despite this, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill managed to stabilize the innings with a 69-run partnership.

Bumrah's dismissal placed him alongside Syed Kirmani, who was the first Indian to get out for a duck on his birthday in 1978 against West Indies in Kolkata. Kirmani was 29 then and couldn't score any runs.

In 1996, Venkatapathy Raju joined this list when he was dismissed without scoring on his 27th birthday during a Test against England in Nottingham. Fast bowler Ishant Sharma also experienced this fate in 2018 when Ben Stokes dismissed him leg-before wicket on his 30th birthday in Southampton.

Mitchell Starc from Australia played a crucial role by disrupting India's middle order with his left-arm pace bowling. Despite this, Bumrah managed to contribute briefly by partnering with Nitish Kumar Reddy for 35 runs before being caught by Usman Khawaja off Pat Cummins' delivery.

Bumrah's unfortunate dismissal adds another chapter to cricket's record books. Although not the birthday gift he wished for, at 31, he remains vital to India's cricket team due to his exceptional bowling abilities.

The table above lists Indian players who scored ducks on their birthdays: Syed Kirmani (Kolkata 1978), Venkatapathy Raju (Nottingham 1996), Ishant Sharma (Southampton 2018), and Jasprit Bumrah (Adelaide 2024).