The India captaincy was his for the taking, however since that fateful January 4 morning in Sydney, the peerless Jasprit Bumrah has regularly fallen behind within the race, and it is going to be tough for him to keep away from the sensation of being shortchanged. The management position was meant for him till he quietly left the Sydney Cricket Ground for a scan whereas holding his again few months in the past. In Bumrah’s absence, any hopes of India successful the ultimate Test in opposition to Australia went up in smoke, however that individual harm additionally dealt a telling blow to his possibilities of changing into India’s long-term Test captain.
“I am shocked that we are looking at option other than Bumrah as Test captain. Worried about his injuries? Then choose your vice-captain carefully,” former India Test participant and famous pundit Sanjay Manjrekar wrote on his official ‘X’ deal with.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir‘s presence in Mumbai, for providing puja on the Siddhivinayak Temple, had the hearsay mills working time beyond regulation that Shubman Gill continues to be not a finished deal for the management position.
With the brand new captain-in-waiting having an prolonged assembly with the top coach within the nationwide capital few days again, there may be little likelihood for the selectors or Gambhir to retract from their authentic stand.
There have been rumours that influential folks working Indian cricket aren’t precisely pleased with Gill’s sudden elevation however it might be utterly foolhardy to consider that these highly effective males weren’t taken into confidence earlier than the Punjab batter was zeroed in as the following Test chief.
That leaves Bumrah, now 31, in a state of affairs the place everlasting India captaincy would possibly simply seem like a distant dream and, primarily based on knowledgeable opinion, it is going to be tough for him to play 5 Tests on the trot.
In the previous, Ravi Shastri was bypassed throughout his greatest days, first by up to date Kris Srikkanth after which by a youthful Mohammed Azharuddin.
Down Under, the late Shane Warne was one of the best captain by no means to have led Australia, however that had lots to do with the legendary leg-spinner’s off-field antics.
In case of Bumrah, the selectors had a really sharp, intuitive hands-on chief, however their fear can be comprehensible. What occurs in case of a breakdown?
Freak on-field accidents cannot be managed, however stress fractures (again), facet pressure, knee, and hamstring-related troubles that quick bowlers face are a part of fitness-related points.
One harm on a January morning in Sydney, and Bumrah was out for 3 months. Before that, he missed 11 months of motion attributable to an on-field breakdown simply earlier than the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022.
Going forward, how the dressing room environment can be relies on how Bumrah ultimately takes this resolution in his stride.
Needless to say, it is going to require numerous man administration from younger skipper Gill and the seasoned dressing room figurehead Gambhir to make sure that Bumrah is accorded the respect and house he deserves.
It is an open secret that Gambhir just isn’t a fan of star tradition and believes that in a crew setting, everyone seems to be equal. But, even when that notion holds true, there would at all times be somebody who’s greater than equal, and that particular person would want a bit of additional leeway going ahead.
If one seems to be on the present Indian Test crew, there are solely two real match winners throughout situations — Bumrah and Rishabh Pant.
Champions are a uncommon species, they usually must be mollycoddled at instances to get one of the best out of them.
If Bumrah just isn’t made the captain, the onus can be as a lot on the Gambhir-Gill duo as it might be on the maverick Gujarat pacer to take the crew in the proper course.
Bumrah does not want numerous technical assist as a bowler, like Ravichandran Ashwin, may be very certain about his craft. He does not must be coached, however what can be required is a copious quantity of understanding as to how he features.
If Bumrah is on tune, Gambhir can be the director of a symphony, but when he does not get assist, it will not take lengthy for issues to show right into a cacophony.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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