Jasprit Bumrah, the star fast bowler of India, has been appointed as the captain of the team for the first Test match against Australia, which will be held in Perth from November 22 since the regular captain Rohit Sharma could not participate in the match. Rohit has been in India for the past few days to witness the birth of his second child and is expected to join the team mid-way through the first match of the series after arriving in Perth. Concerns have been raised about Rohit’s absence from the team, but Lakshmipathy Balaji, a former player, believes that Bumrah is capable of taking over the Test team as its captain.
Balaji, who expressed that everyone should not expect any results from Bumrah quickly, however, welcomes the idea of more fast bowlers captaincy.
“Wouldn’t every cricketer want to go to Australia? And when it is the chance to lead and be the bowler-in-charge, it will only take Jasprit’s career one notch higher. That being said, he should not be placed under too much pressure. They say age is just a number but he is a young captain and that needs to be accepted. This is as much a great chance for him as it is to the whole team. Everyone knows how the Australians play their cricket; they play it hard and there will, at some occasions, be an extreme situation,” Balaji said in an interview with India Today.
In an attempt to strengthen his argument, Balaji also cited the case of the legendary captain of Pakistan, Imran Khan, who achieved greatness in leadership and brought the country to new heights. He finds no reason that Bumrah will not be able to manage the captaincy along with his bowling. Rather, Balaji maintained that the captaincy may enhance his bowling.
“I believe that it is not out of reach for any fast bowler to be able to lead in Test cricket. It is possible to be a fast bowler and a great tactician as Imran Khan proved. He was fantastic in all areas – leadership, batting, and bowling. Fast-bowling takes a particularly hard toll on the body. After long spells, you will be tired, yet you still have to make the calls. But I do think Bumrah is up for it. He has played cricket long enough to know what it entails. He has also been to Australia on two occasions, and that is the sort of thing that makes you a completely different player,” he added.
