IND vs ENG: 'A Big, Difficult Call; People Know My Thoughts About Him...': Ex-England Pacer's Verdict On Jasprit Bumrah As India Captain

The BCCI officially ended the tension surrounding India’s captain for the Edgbaston Test against England by giving it over to Jasprit Bumrah after Rohit Sharma once more returned a Covid-19 positive test result.

Bumrah, who served as vice-captain in the South Africa ODIs and Sri Lanka Tests, led India as the 36th Test captain overall and became the first fast bowler to do so since Kapil Dev. As soon as Bumrah received the assignment, feedback on his selection as the captain began to flood in. 

Risky Move To Give Jasprit Bumrah Leadership Duty: Darren Gough

A sixth India skipper in as many as eight months may not be the greatest decision for Indian cricket right now, according to some, who did not support the move.

Darren Gough, a former England pacer, is the most recent person to comment on Bumrah’s selection as India’s captain. Gough, a 58-test and 159-ODI veteran, believes it is a risky move to give Jasprit Bumrah the reins of leadership.

“It’s a big call to go with Bumrah, I really do. People know my thoughts about him as a cricketer. I talk about him a lot. Bumrah for me is one of the hardest – of not the hardest – bowlers to face in world cricket in this moment in time.

Deceptively quick, great yorker, awkward to face quicker than you think… to come in captain straightaway against this England side is a difficult call,” Gough told Cricket.com 

Virat Kohli Would Have Been My Choice: Darren Gough

Gough stated that if it were up to him, Virat Kohli would have been selected to captain India in this crucial Test match. He thinks that because of what Kohli accomplished as India’s captain, including his famous victories over rivals and in Australia.

The most successful Test captain of India may have been a better fit for this one game at Edgbaston, according to Gough, who does see Bumrah as a long-term skipper. 

“Virat Kohli would have been the choice I would have probably made, purely because of his expertise, what he brought to Indian cricket as a captain, that professionalism, leading from the front and pushing everyone to train and work harder…

this is the reason India have got to the position they have in world cricket over the last 5 years with some unbelievable Test victories, most notably in Australia,” he added. 

But it looks as though they want to move on as Kohli as the captain. Rohit is not young anymore. Bumrah is definitely going to be in that side for many years as long as he is fit. So its a great opportunity for him. But for a one-off game, I would have gone for Kohli.” 

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