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'From being called "not Test material" in 2018 to leading India...': Twitter reacts as Bumrah named captain for 5th Test
Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was named the captain of the side for the rescheduled fifth and final Test of the series against England, starting on July 1.
Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah was named the captain of the side for the rescheduled fifth and final Test of the series against England, starting July 1. Bumrah was named the skipper of the side after Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the game due to Covid-19 infection. In an official statement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed that Rohit had tested positive for the virus in a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Thursday morning.
Bumrah will become the 36th Indian captain in the longest format of the game, and will be the first pacer to lead the team after the great Kapil Dev. In addition, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was named the vice-captain of the side for the England Test.
Bumrah, who has played 29 Tests for India so far, will also be the first specialist fast bowler to lead the team in Tests. As he was officially announced as Indian captain for the game on Thursday, here's how Twitter reacted:
Bumrah has been acknowledged widely as the undisputed leader of the fast bowling group but come Friday, the challenge against Ben Stokes' side will be very different when he walks out for the toss at the Edgbaston. This is also the first time Bumrah leads India in any format.
Fast bowlers in Indian context have never been considered for leadership contention and Kapil Dev, the world-class all-rounder, was more of a fast-medium bowler in his prime and later a medium-fast as time progressed. Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan, two fine exponents of fast bowling, were never considered for vice-captaincy, let alone a leadership role during their heydays. And hence, it took 35 years for India to have another pacer captain.
India are currently leading the five-Test series 2-1, but face an in-form English team that beat world champions New Zealand 3-0 in the Test series that concluded last week.
