Indian right-arm pacer Jasprit Bumrah is leading India in the rescheduled fifth Test against England after Rohit Sharma tested positive for Covid-19.
Having not even led any side in the first-class game, Jasprit Bumrah has been thrown into the deep hole as he is assigned to lead India in the crucial rescheduled fifth Test against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Bumrah was assigned the role after Rohit Sharma was ruled out from the Test after being tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday morning.
Head coach Rahul Dravid said that he had conversations with Bumrah and the side would need him more as a bowler than a captain.
“He is a thoughtful individual; he thinks about the game. He understands the game quite well, he understands his bowling exceptionally well. He is keen and he is always having conversations about the game. Also, I think he commands the respect of the team and I think it is an important thing as a leader. He ticks that box as well. the tactical side of things, the captaincy side of things, the bowling changes,”
Dravid said in a chat with Sanjana Ganesan on the Sony Sports Network.
“He is only going to get better. He has not captained a lot so it is going to be a challenge but we will support him through that. It is not easy for a fast bowler to captain as well considering the fact that he has to look after his bowling; he has got to set fields while he is bowling. I have had a couple of conversations in the last couple of days; we probably need him more as a bowler rather than a captain. Captaincy is something, the more you do, the better you get,”
he added.
England has recently introduced an attacking brand of cricket and this approach was visible in their 3-0 victory against New Zealand earlier this month.
Dravid says that he has no concerns about what the opposition has done and is currently focusing on their own team.
“I mean yeah, there has been a lot of talk about England’s style of batting. I am looking forward to it, the quality in our seam department is something we take a lot of pride in. In the last 4-5 years, we have developed a strong group of fast bowlers who can bowl in all kinds of conditions,”
said Dravid.
“It is going to be an exciting contest; our boys are ready for it. The focus is on ourselves rather than what they are going to do. It is about bowling the balls in the right areas. We back ourselves, if they have the ability to hit the good balls, then good luck to them,”
he added.
India is currently leading the five-match series by 2-1 and if they manage to win or draw this Test, it would be the first time since 2007 that India would win a Test series in England.