Gavaskar shares insight into India's leadership debate

Sunil Gavaskar says he won’t be surprised if speedster Jasprit Bumrah takes over India’s Test captaincy, considering his ability to lead from the front

Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar said he won’t be surprised if fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah takes over as the side’s Test captain in near future, citing that he doesn’t pressurise players much when he’s been at the helm of the team. In India’s recent 3-1 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah captained the visitors’ in two games, one of which was a 295-run win series opening match in Perth.

“He will be the next man, because he leads from the front. He’s got a very good air about him, the air of a leader, but he’s not somebody who’s going to put pressure on you. Sometimes you have captains who put a lot of pressure on you.

Sunil Gavaskar

“With Bumrah you can see that he expects the others to do what their job is, why they are in the national team, but he doesn’t seem to pressurise anybody. With the fast bowlers, he’s been absolutely brilliant, standing at mid-off, mid-on, and every time just being at hand to tell them. I think he was absolutely brilliant, and I won’t be surprised if he takes over very soon,” said Gavaskar on Channel Seven on Wednesday.

Performance wise, Bumrah was the star of India’s tour, picking 32 wickets in five matches at an average of 13.06 and a strike rate 28.37 to clinch player of the series award. Gavaskar felt things could have been slightly different in Sydney for India if Bumrah had bowled in the fourth innings of the match.

Bumrah best all-format pacer: Clarke

Michael Clarke

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has termed the incomparable Jasprit Bumrah the greatest all-format fast bowler after his player of the series performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. “The thing I’ve thought about Bumrah, after the series finished and I was sitting and thinking about his performances, I actually think he’s the best fast bowler ever across all three formats,” Clarke told ESPN.

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