Courtesy Jasprit Bumrah's match haul of 9/86, India beat Australia by 137 runs in the third Test to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
The victory at Melbourne Cricket Ground was also India's fourth overseas Test win in 2018, the most for the proud cricketing nation. India had previously won Tests in Johannesburg, Trent Bridge and Adelaide earlier this year.
In those wins, Bumrah was one of the constants for India, taking three five-wicket hauls. His rise as the world's leading wicket-taker has helped Indian pace battery become a potent threat to any batting side.
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For the record, Indian pacers have taken a total of 158 wickets in 2018, the second most in a calendar year, only behind the fearsome Windies quicks of 1980 (189). Considering India's rich spin tradition and the lack of world-beating pacers, the rise of Indian pacers is worth celebrating.
The 25-year-old was honoured with the man of the match award at the MCG, and skipper Virat Kohli praised the right-arm pacers efforts, hailing him as the "best (fast) bowler in the world".
"Jasprit obviously is the best bowler in the world, as per me. He is a match winner, without doubt, even if he has only been playing (Test cricket) for 12 months," Kohli was lavish in his praise for the Gujarat bowler, who has taken 48 wickets in his memorable season in Test cricket.
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Kolhi then paid a rare compliment which possibly is the one that the pacer would treasure for the rest of his life.
"I mean if there was a pitch like Perth, I wouldn't want to face Jasprit Bumrah to be honest because if he gets on a roll, he can really crank it up. The way he bowls is so much more different to anyone and I think he realizes that more than the batsmen. That's why he is so confident about his skills," the skipper said.
Kohli said that it was Bumrah's "amazing fitness levels and work ethic" along with a skill set that prompted him and coach Ravi Shastri to seriously consider him for the Test series in South Africa.
Bumrah (48) now has third most Test wickets in a debut year. Aussie swing master Terry Alderman (54 in 1981) leads the list, followed by Windies legend Courtly Ambrose (49 in 1988).
Here's Bumrah's match by match breakdown in his debut Test year:
Match 1: 4/112 vs South Africa at Cape Town (January 5-8). India lost by 72 runs. Legendary AB de Villiers was his first Test wicket.
Match 2: 3/130 vs South Africa at Centurion (January 13-17). India lost by 135 runs.
Match 3: 7/111 vs South Africa at Johannesburg (January 24-27). India won by 63 runs. Bumrah took his first five-wicket haul, in the first innings, claiming the wickets of Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Andile Phehlukwayo and Lungi Ngidi.
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Match 4: 7/122 vs England at Nottingham (August 18-22). India won by 203 runs. He claimed second five-wicket haul, in the second innings, taking the wickets of Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad.
Match 5: 4/97 vs England at Southampton (August 30-September 2). India lost by 60 runs.
Match 6: 3/144 vs England at The Oval, London (September 7-11). India lost by 118 runs.
Match 7: 6/115 vs Australia at Adelaide (December 6-10). India won by 31 runs.
Match 8: 5/92 vs Australia at Perth (December 14-18). India lost by 146 runs.
Match 9: 9/86 vs Australia at Melbourne (December 26-30). India won by 137 runs. Bumrah took his third five-wicket haul, in the first innings, taking the wickets of Marcus Harris, Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Tim Paine, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood. He became the first Asian bowler to take five-wicket hauls in Australia, England and South Africa in the same calendar year.
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The MCG win also helped India consolidate their numero uno ranking in the ICC Test rankings. With second-ranked England playing their first five-day match in the West Indies in mid-January next year, India will remain the top-ranked side, unchallenged.
The South Africa-Pakistan and New Zealand-Sri Lanka series will have no bearing on India's position.
