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Jasprit Bumrah's astonishing 36-year-old Kapil Dev connection as India pacer gears up for captaincy debut vs England
There is more to Bumrah's Kapil Dev connection than the stat that has been doing rounds on social media.
Jasprit Bumrah will be leading the Indian Test team against England in the rescheduled fifth Test in Edgbaston as Rohit Sharma failed to clear the Covid-19 test on Thursday. And with that, Bumrah has become the first ever pace bowler to captain the Indian side since the great Kapil Dev, who last featured in that role back in 1987 against England in an ODI game in Mumbai. But there is more to Bumrah's Kapil Dev connection than the stat that has been doing rounds on social media.
Rohit was supposed to lead Team India in the Edgbaston Test, but the captain, who had tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus earlier this week, failed to clear the test on Wednesday and Thursday and hence was ruled out of the all-important match. The selectors hence named Bumrah as the captain on Thursday and Rishabh Pant his deputy.
This will be the first time Bumrah will be leading the Indian side, amid earlier statements from chief selector Chetan Sharma that he is among the probable candidates to captain the side and is presently being groomed for the role.
Moments after the big announcement on Thursday, Bumrah found his name beside the legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev across social media. But there is more to Bumrah's connection to the 'Haryana Hurricane'. The last time Kapil Dev had led India in an away series was also against England at Edgbaston back in 1986.
The 1986 Test in Birmingham had ended in a draw, but India had won the series, having won the Tests at the Lord's and Headingley. It was India's second Test series win on English soil after 1971 win under Ajit Wadekar. India have managed to win only one other series in England, in 2007 under Rahul Dravid, who is the present India head coach.
Bumrah will be India's second captain the Pataudi Trophy. The visitors had taken a 2-1 lead in the 2021 series under Virat Kohli before a Covid-19 outbreak in the Indian camp led to the postponement of the fifth Test to 2022. Kohli had later resigned from Test captaincy earlier this year following India's loss in South Africa tour.
"This is a big achievement, a big honour," Bumrah said in his first press conference as India skipper. "For me, playing a Test match was a dream and getting such an opportunity is probably one of the biggest achievements of my career. I am very happy that I have been given this opportunity."
