India needs Bumrah the bowler more than Bumrah the captain Premium

Indian cricket's leadership evolution, from Pataudi to Bumrah, reflects a mix of success, challenges, and future considerations.

Over the years, Indian cricket has been remarkably fortunate to have unearthed numerous leaders, not just captains, of great integrity and no little tactical acumen. Though there were several stalwarts before him, ‘Tiger’ Pataudi is credited with bringing a sense of ‘team’ to the national side, using his standing and charm to explode the divisive air of regionalism that dogged Indian cricket. Numerous worthy successors took the torch forward.

Interestingly, three of the modern masters of the game held the captaincy mantle for only a combined period of five and a half years or so. Sachin Tendulkar was captain across two terms, the first lasting 15 months and the second less than half that tenure. 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. Anil Kumble was the captain for a little over a year and a quarter, a tricky period when he showed exceptional statesman-like qualities on the tempestuous tour of Australia in 2007-08, a series rocked by numerous shockingly poor umpiring decisions, a vast majority of them going against India, and the Monkeygate scandal that threatened an early end after Andrew Symonds accused Harbhajan Singh of racist abuse.

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. Dhoni was outstanding in the two white-ball formats but more defensive in Test-match action, perhaps because he felt he didn’t have the bowling attack to stay competitive overseas. Kohli brought new verve to the team, shaking up the established order with an uncompromising focus on fitness and on assembling a fast-bowling group that helped stack up overseas victories. Rohit, who had led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles when he took charge of the Test team, brought greater empathy and understanding with him, drawing from his own painful experiences, allowing the youngsters to learn from their mistakes and establishing himself as a players’ captain.

Rohit’s unprecedented decision to stand himself down for the final Test against Australia in Sydney because he felt he didn’t deserve a place in the best XI for the decider hasn’t got the due it deserves. Mischievous whispers that he was nudged in that direction notwithstanding, it takes courage, selflessness and the ability to sift logic from emotion to arrive at a decision of such magnitude. It’s another matter that the man he made way for, Shubman Gill, didn’t justify his inclusion with two terrible strokes.

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. The pacer supreme had previously led the team in England in the summer of 2022 in the last Test of a five-match series that had spilled over from 12 months earlier, and not with great success.

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 (Test career economy after 45 matches, 2.76).

Bumrah seemed to be chasing the game, a half-step slower tactically. India’s short-ball strategy on a flat deck where the ball came nicely on the bat was widely criticised but as Perth showed, that was a one-off. At the Optus Stadium, Bumrah was on top of his leadership game, inspiring his troops, eliciting energy and enthusiasm even though his batters had only post 150. It helped, of course, that he produced magic with the ball, his five-wicket haul primarily responsible for Australia being bowled out for 104.