Shamik Chakrabarty
India’s Test captaincy post-Rohit Sharma for the upcoming tour of England might not be an open-and-shut case. The general assumption is that Shubman Gill will succeed Rohit in the longer format and there have been reports about the Punjab batsman being unveiled as the new Test skipper likely on May 23. However, it is learnt that in the corridors of the BCCI, there’s still some uncertainty. Jasprit Bumrah’s case is not ruled out yet.
Grapevine has it that head coach Gautam Gambhir will have a meeting with the selectors and the BCCI brass on the captaincy issue at the soonest.
At the BCCI’s review meeting after the Australia tour it was decided that, according to sources, Bumrah will lead the red-ball team in the new World Test Championship cycle that starts with the five-match series in England. But the fast bowler’s back injury that saw him miss the Champions Trophy, became a deterrent. Bumrah is the crown jewel of Indian cricket and going ahead, his workload has to be managed carefully.
There’s a school of thought that he shouldn’t play more than two Tests at a stretch. Even Shane Bond, the former New Zealand quick who also worked as Mumbai Indians bowling coach, had spoken about how another injury in the same spot could prematurely end Bumrah’s career.
That said, Gill’s Test average on the road is below 30 and burdening him with the added responsibility in a tough tour like England could be counter-productive. At 25, he is still a young player, yet to crack the overseas code as a Test batsman. After back-to-back Test series defeats against New Zealand and Australia, India can’t afford to lose to England, and some in the powers-that-be feel appointing Gill as captain could be high-risk.
Bumrah is a safe bet in that regard. He is the team’s best player by a country mile and is hugely respected in the dressing room and outside. Also, given the itinerary, there’s a week’s gap between the first Test at Leeds and the second at Birmingham.
Hypothetically, if Bumrah chooses to sit out of the third Test at Lord’s, with little turnaround time, he can come back and lead the side again in the final two Tests at Old Trafford and The Oval.
Once again, there’s a school of thought that if Gill is appointed Bumrah’s deputy, he can be the stand-in skipper in the third Test, if need be.
The bottom line is that India’s Test captaincy hasn’t been finalised yet.