India skipper Virat Kohli hailed “outstanding” Jasprit Bumrah after the pacer picked up career-best match figures of 9-86 in the team’s 137-run win over Australia in the Boxing Day Test, including 6-33 in the first innings.

Kohli says the paceman’s ability to bowl this well this early in his Test career – the 25-year-old only made his debut in January, and has already taken five-wicket hauls in England, South Africa and now Australia – “is a very scary sign for batsmen around the world”.

“Credit has to go to the bowlers. I think they have been outstanding, especially Jasprit. The way he bowled in this Test match was outstanding,” said Kohli after the win gave India a 2-1 lead in the four-Test series.

“The mindset he has at the moment is what separates him from anyone else in the world right now.

“He looks at a pitch and he doesn’t think it’s a hard toil, he thinks wickets, he thinks how can I get a breakthrough for the team.

“He’s as strong-headed as I’ve seen anyone in the past and that’s the key to his success that I’ve seen in the last 12 months, the way he has matured as a Test cricketer.”

“In Test cricket…I wouldn’t want to face him to be honest because once he is on a roll, he can really crank it up,” Kohli added.