Birthday special: Bhuvneshwar Kumar – Five best Spells of India’s swinging star

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a bowler who has the priceless ability to make the ball move both ways. And, when he hits the right areas, especially with the new ball in hand, Kumar can be a tricky bowler to face. Over the course of his career that has lasted almost a decade, the pacer has emerged as one of the lynchpins of the Indian side with the ball in hand.

As Kumar turns 31 today, let us take a look at the Top 5 best bowling spells from him across all formats in international cricket.

5) 5/48 vs New Zealand at Eden Gardens (Tests)

At the fifth place is a spell that made the New Zealand batsmen appear totally flummoxed at the iconic Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata. The Indian side batted first and posted a total of 316 runs on the board. In reply, the kiwi batsmen wilted due to the master class from Kumar with the ball. The pacer took 5/48 in 15 overs, to cripple the Kiwi batting line up, and the visitors were bowled out for just 204. The Indian side scored 263 in the second essay, setting New Zealand a stiff target of 376 for victory. The Black Caps came a cropper in their second innings, and were bowled out for just 197.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar – Player of the Match at Eden Gardens –
1/28, 5/48, 4/88, 4/8

14 wickets at 12.2 in 2 Matches#INDvSL pic.twitter.com/eUqD0xvAFI

— TheYorkerBall ♞ (@TheYorkerBall) November 20, 2017

4) 5/42 vs Sri Lanka at Colombo (ODIs)

On September 3^rd 2017, Sri Lanka faced off against a visiting Indian side at Colombo. The Islanders won the toss and opted to get their blades out. The Sri Lankan innings never really took off, as they lost wickets at regular intervals. And, the man who prevented them from gaining momentum was Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The pacer took 5/42 in 9.4 overs, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for a total of 238. The Indian side romped home with ease, reaching the target with 6 wickets and 3.3 overs to spare. Virat Kohli was the star with the willow for India, scoring an unbeaten 110.

3) 5/33 vs West Indies at St. Lucia (Tests)

This was a spell that came in the land of the West Indies, at St. Lucia. Batting first, the Indian side put up a total of 353 runs on the board. In reply, the hosts were shot out for just 225, with Kumar proving to be unplayable. The right-arm pacer bowled 23.4 overs, gave away just 33 runs and picked up 5 wickets. The Indian side declared their second innings with the scorecard reading 217/7. The West Indies were set a target of 346 for victory and were bowled out for a meagre 108, as India thrashed them by a margin of 237 runs.

2) 5/24 vs South Africa at Johannesburg (T20Is)

This is the greatest spell bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in limited-overs cricket, and it came against South Africa at Johannesburg. India batted first, and posted a total of 203 runs in their allotted 20 overs, with Shikhar Dhawan top-scoring with 72.

South Africa scored 175 runs in the match, at a rate of 8.75 runs per over. Kumar gave away just 24 runs from his 4 overs, at a rate of 6 runs an over. Out of the 9 South African wickets to fall, Kumar scalped 5 of them. And in the end, it was his scintillating performance with the ball that helped India to beat the Proteas in their own backyard by 28 runs. And for his superb spell, Kumar was awarded the Man of the Match award.

1) 6/82 vs England at Lord’s (Tests)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar etched his name in the prestigious and elusive Lord’s honours board in July 2014 against England, and played a pivotal role in India beating England on England soil. India batted first and posted 295 runs on the board, with Ajinkya Rahane contributing a handsome 103. When the England side got their willows out, one bowler stood apart for India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The right-arm pacer recorded sensational bowling figures of 6/82 in the first innings, and scalped two of England’s dangerous batsmen, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell. The England side finished with a total of 319 in their first innings.

Bhuvneshwar kumar’s 6/82 against England at Lord’s in 2014 during the 2nd Test match put him on the Lord’s Honors board. Happy birthday @BhuviOfficial ❤️ pic.twitter.com/V1OYnth2DD

— Ríyu || (@peachworld26) February 5, 2021

In their second innings, India scored 342 and set the hosts a target of 319 for victory. Ishant Sharma polished off the England batting line up, picking up 7 wickets in the second innings, as India beat the hosts by 95 runs.