India' dreams of winning a Test series in Australia may well realise in January next year thanks to a group of young, confident players under Virat Kohli. And the brightest of them is possibly Jasprit Bumrah.
On Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the 27-year-old recorded his best innings bowling figures (6/33) to help India bowl out Australia for 151 and take a mammoth innings lead of 292 runs.
In the process, the right-arm medium pacer became the first Asian bowler to take a five-wicket haul in each of Australia, England and South Africa in the same calendar year.
Captain Kohli was so impressed with Bumrah's feat that he doffed his hat to the bowler.
Hailing Bumrah as India's "treasure", celebrated commentator Harsha Bhogle took to Twitter and wrote, "India have found a treasure in Jasprit Bumrah. So young and already so accomplished".
Fellow commentator and former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar. said,
Former India opener Virender Sehwag, always known to bring some spice to his tweets, wrote Jasprit Bumrah is 2018's biggest gain, in rhyme with Aussie captain Tim Paine.
Mohammed Kaif felt that Bumrah "has made the difference for the Indian attack from being very good to outstanding."
VVS Laxman said, he "has been the best bowler on display across both sides by some distance and has put India in a really dominating position".
Meanwhile, in the commentator box of the official broadcasters of the series, former Aussie captain Michael Clarke, impressed with Bumrah's smartness, hails him as a genius.
In fact, Clarke went onto predict that Bumrah will be world top-ranked bowler in all formats of the game in the next few months. Bumrah is the currently 28th in the Test bowlers' ranking. but is the number one in ODIs 20th in T20Is.
