Former wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta has pointed out the major concern that could stand in the way when it comes to Jasprit Bumrah being a candidate for the long-term Test captaincy role for the Indian team. Bumrah will be leading India in the Perth Test against Australia, which will begin on Friday, November 22. The pacer has captained India in Tests before and also in the T20I format.
Bumrah is considered by many to be a long-term captaincy option when Rohit steps away from the role. While speaking exclusively to Indiatoday.in, Dasgupta said that the pacer ticks all the boxes for being the ideal candidate for the role but felt that his workload management could be the only hindrance.
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“The former wicketkeeper feels that since Bumrah is an all-format bowler, it would be tough for him to play every Test while staying fit for the white-ball formats.”
“In terms of cricketing ability and importance to the team, he ticks all the boxes. He’s the best bowler in the world across three formats, and that speaks volumes about his calibre.”
“But the only concern is workload management. As a three-format bowler, it’s tough to play every Test match while also staying fit for white-ball cricket. That’s the only question mark for me regarding his potential long-term captaincy.”
“Apart from that, there are no issues. India does have other options, like Rishabh Pant, but Bumrah is a great candidate,” said Bumrah.
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Bumrah is a smart cricketer with a great cricketing brain
The Perth Test will see both the captains being bowlers, a rare occurrence in Test cricket. Dasgupta said claimed Bumrah is a smart cricketer with a great cricketing brain and his leadership with the ball will also be crucial, especially with India missing the services of Mohammed Shami.
“It’s rare to see fast bowlers leading sides in Test matches. I mean, yes, Tim Southee led New Zealand last year, but it’s still not a common occurrence.”
“Bumrah has led the side before, albeit in England, and it didn’t go the way we would have liked. But he’s a smart cricketer with a great cricketing brain.”
“It’ll be interesting, especially with Mohammed Shami unavailable. India has relied heavily on its bowlers—spinners and pacers—both at home and overseas for its success. In Shami’s absence, there might be one or two youngsters in the playing XI, alongside Bumrah and Siraj. Bumrah’s leadership as a bowler himself will be critical in managing the bowling unit effectively,” said Dasgupta.
Bumrah has a good record in Australia as he has 32 wickets from 7 matches.
