"If India win and Rohit returns for the subsequent matches and then the team lose, that will spark a whole different scenario"- Harbhajan Singh
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh weighed in on the captaincy debate sparked by the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma for the opening Test of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Rohit and his wife recently delivered a second child, resulting in the Indian captain missing the series opener, starting in Perth on November 22.
His deputy Jasprit Bumrah will take over the leadership reins with Rohit returning to captain the side likely from the second Test. Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar recently stated that the side should have the same captain throughout the five Tests, given the importance of the series for stability.
Responding to Gavaskar's suggestion on Jatin Sapru's YouTube show, Harbhajan said:
"I feel it's a great suggestion to have one captain for the entire series. That would be better. If India lose, nobody will question it. However, if India win and Rohit returns for the subsequent matches and then the team lose, that will spark a whole different scenario. But if India lose under both Rohit and Bumrah, they might want Virat Kohli as captain."
"If you win the first two Tests, then all Indians would want Bumrah to remain as captain. On the contrary, if India lose both of those games, they would want Rohit to return. We change sides very quickly. I'm not talking about Sunny sir here; I'm talking about the general public. It might not be a bad idea. There shouldn't be any problem as well because Bumrah has the ability to lead a team," he added.
Team India are coming off a surprising 0-3 home Test series loss to New Zealand, making the Australian tour a massive one for the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final hopes.
The Asian giants will likely have to defeat the mighty Aussies by a 4-0 or better margin to qualify for the WTC finale.
Jasprit Bumrah has captained India in a lone Test during Rohit Sharma's absence
Jasprit Bumrah will have massive shoes to fill as captain during India's series opener against Australia, having performed the role only once in his Test career.
Bumrah led India during Rohit's absence in the fifth Test of the rescheduled 2021 England Test tour in 2022. Unfortunately, India suffered a seven-wicket defeat in that outing despite setting the hosts a stiff target of 378 in the final innings at Edgbaston.
Despite the loss, Bumrah was among the few shining lights with five wickets in the contest. Apart from the lone Test, the 30-year-old led India in two T20Is against Ireland last year with the Men in Blue winning both games convincingly.