India needs Bumrah the bowler more than Bumrah the captain
The HinduOver the years, Indian cricket has been remarkably fortunate to have unearthed numerous leaders, not just captains, of great integrity and no little tactical acumen. Rahul Dravid, one of India’s most successful skippers who oversaw Test series triumphs in the Caribbean and England after 35 and 21 years respectively, stepped down after two years; it’s one of those great travesties that he will be remembered more for India’s first-round exit at the 50-over World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007. Since the end of 2008, when Kumble retired midway through Australia’s tour of India, there have been three long-term, regular skippers — Mahendra Singh Dhoni for six years from 2008 till the end of 2014, Virat Kohli from 2015 to 2022, and Rohit Sharma for 34 months now. In Rohit’s absence, both from the first Test in Perth which he missed owing to the birth of his second child and in Sydney, Jasprit Bumrah took over as captain. India allowed England to scale down 378 in the fourth innings for the loss of just three wickets at 4.93 runs per over despite posting 416 batting first, Bumrah finishing the game with five for 142 but going at 3.94 runs per over.