India has most bases covered, but Rohit Sharma's absence could still be a detrimental factor when they face Australia in the series opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Friday. Rohit has yet to travel to Australia and is out of the first Test in Perth due to paternity leave, and in his absence, Jasprit Bumrah will captain the side. Irrespective of the result, Rohit will take over the leadership role when the team travels to Adelaide for the second Test, but former 1983 World Cup winner for India Kirti Azad believes that the captain's unavailability will definitely be a miss even though India have enough batting prowess in their squad.
While there is no denying Bumrah's leadership capabilities, he has only captained India thrice – once in a Test match against England in Birmingham, which India lost and twice against Ireland in T20Is. However, neither comes close to the kind of test playing a Test match in Australia poses. From finalising India's Playing XI to making every minute tactical decision and leading the pace attack, Bumrah has a lot on his plate, with each having a crucial bearing on India's chances in the match.
"Nobody is weak or strong by one player. But yes, Rohit, being the captain, has led from the front, he will be missed. Yes. It's a point of worry. And since he's been the captain for a long time, nobody's indispensable. But then again, he is the most important cog in the wheel as far as the Indian team is concerned. So we expect him to do well," he told Times of India.
Can Jasprit Bumrah emulate Kapil Dev's captaincy traits?
When Bumrah captained India in the fifth rescheduled Test at Edgbaston two years ago, he became the first Indian fast bowler since the great Kapil Dev to lead the Indian team in whites. Come Friday, Bumrah would be expected to produce results like him too. While some players' performances are affected by captaincy, Azad believes it will be interesting to see how Bumrah responds.
{{/usCountry}}When Bumrah captained India in the fifth rescheduled Test at Edgbaston two years ago, he became the first Indian fast bowler since the great Kapil Dev to lead the Indian team in whites. Come Friday, Bumrah would be expected to produce results like him too. While some players' performances are affected by captaincy, Azad believes it will be interesting to see how Bumrah responds.
{{/usCountry}}In Edgbaston, Bumrah picked five wickets – 3/68 and 2/74 – and smashed Stuart Broad for 35 runs in an over – the most expensive in Test cricket. India would be hoping for the same with the bat but a lot more with the ball as Bumrah leads his troops at the Optus Stadium.
"I played with Kapil Dev, one of the greatest all-rounders in the world. Captaincy never hampered his performances. It depends on the situation. If your team is playing well, and your changes give you results, then you're a good captain. If it doesn't give you results, then you're a bad captain," said Azad.