3 reasons why Jasprit Bumrah is a good candidate to captain India in the future
Jasprit Bumrah doesn't have any first-class or List A leadership experience but was appointed India's stand-in captain for the one-off Test against England at Edgbaston. Many felt Virat Kohli and even Rishabh Pant would have been better choices in Rohit Sharma's absence.
However, the impact that the 28-year-old has had on the Test so far in the first two days has simply been incredible. His cameo of 31 not out from 16 balls, sensational bowling and his demeanor on the field has impressed one and all and he has truly led by example.
Fast bowlers are often not seen as captains on a full-time basis. This is especially true in modern-day cricket as their workload has to be managed with so much competitive cricket being played throughout the year.
However, Pat Cummins has successfully captained Australia in Tests in recent times to break that line of thinking. With Rohit Sharma already 35 years of age, many Indian fans are pondering the idea of Bumrah becoming the next permanent Indian captain.
The Men in Blue have had several captains this year, including KL Rahul, Pant and Hardik Pandya. But many feel Bumrah has been the most impressive of them all despite watching him on the field for less than a day.
On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why Jasprit Bumrah could become a full-time captain for India in the future:
#3 Smart bowling changes
India posted 416 on the board in their first innings and had ideal conditions to pick up early wickets. Jasprit Bumrah opened the bowling with Mohammad Shami and there was pressure from both ends.
The visitors were successful in picking up three wickets before England could score 50 runs. With England's two best batters in Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow at the crease, the Indian skipper knew he had to break the partnership.
Once he realized Root was playing him well, Jasprit Bumrah selflessly took himself out of the attack and brought back Mohammed Siraj. The move worked wonders as Siraj picked up Root's wicket and the happiness was evident on Bumrah's face when India got the big fish.
The 28-year-old also gave Shami an extended spell and he picked up a wicket right towards the end of the day. Bumrah's bowling changes, orthodox field settings and ability to keep things simple and clear were lauded by commentators and other cricket experts.
#2 Calm presence on the field
Things get really out of hand in Test cricket when a few little moments don't go your way. These are the times when a captain needs to stay calm and not get too ahead of himself. In that regard, Jasprit Bumrah was absolutely brilliant and it didn't look like he was on captaincy debut.
Bumrah always had a calm head on his shoulders as a bowler and that reflected in his captaincy as well. There was a moment where he trapped Bairstow and the umpire did not give it out. Many bowlers would have gone up for the review straightaway.
But despite being the captain, Bumrah took everyone's opinion and then passed the opportunity, which turned out to be the right decision.
Late in the day, Virat Kohli dropped Jack Leach. It was a crucial moment as that could have brought Ben Stokes to the crease with about 15 minutes to go. However, instead of getting frustrated, Jasprit Bumrah applauded the former Indian captain for trying and had a smile on his face.
Just a few balls later, Leach perished after knicking one off Mohammed Shami straight to Rishabh Pant.
#1 Ready to take on the opposition, be it with bat or ball
Arguably the best thing about Jasprit Bumrah's captaincy so far was that he didn't let the added responsibility affect his primary skill or his batting.
At 375/9, England had a chance to bowl out the visitors quickly. But Bumrah anticipated that they would try a barrage of bouncers and was ready on the back foot to swing as hard as he could. It worked wonders as he smashed 35 runs off Stuart Broad's over and took India past 400.
Jasprit Bumrah also set the tone with the ball, picking up the top three England wickets. While it might be too soon to judge him as captain, if Bumrah can maintain his fitness, there's probably no reason why he can't be the heir to Rohit Sharma's throne.