Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year for producing his best-ever annual haul in the red-ball format.

Bumrah, who recently captained India in two Test matches against Australia, remained the leading wicket-taker in the longest format of the game in 2024 by picking up 71.

He was far ahead of his nearer competitor  Gus Atkinson of England (52 in 11).

He sent down an eye-watering 357 overs in the format, but maintained a phenomenal average of 2.96, breaking the mold in a quick-scoring era of the Test game, ICC said in the statement.

Bumrah’s 71-wicket haul makes him just the fourth India bowler to take more than 70 Test wickets in a calendar year, following in the footsteps of Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev.

Bumrah then went on to bag 19 wickets during the five-Test marathon at home against England, as the hosts prevailed with a 4-1 margin.

However, the seasoned pacer delivered his magnum opus in the high-stakes Border-Gavaskar Series in Australia, where he finished with an incredible 32 wickets from five Tests and was named Player of the Series.