The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the squad for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand. Rohit Sharma once again has been confirmed as the captain, while the fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will play the role of vice-captain, as he is obviously one of the team’s biggest trump cards. Though Bumrah does not have much experience in captaincy, his place in the leadership groupings has been identified for a while now.
Ahead of the opening Test, Rohit talked about Bumrah’s new responsibility and how important his input would be in matches, notwithstanding his limited captaincy experience. “Bumrah has played a lot of cricket. He knows the game well. He has a good head on his shoulders. When you talk to him, he understands the situation,” Rohit said in a rain-impacted pre-match news conference.
Rohit also credited Bumrah for his understanding of the game, referring to his past captaincy in a single Test and a few T20s. “He knows what is required in critical situations. When a leader is needed to step up, Bumrah will be among them. He has always been a part of our leadership group,” Rohit furthered.
Being the most experienced fast bowler on the squad, Bumrah is expected to mentor the younger pace bowlers, too. “Whether it’s communicating with newcomers or internally strategizing, he’s always been integral to our leadership effort,” noted Rohit.
Rohit also updated us on the possible return of Bumrah’s pace bowling partner, Mohammed Shami. “One is never sure whether Shami will be named for the tour of Australia as he still remains a fitness concern,” the captain said. “It’s hard to say if he’ll be fit for this series or the Australia series. He had some swelling in his knee, which was pretty unusual, actually,” Rohit said.
“He was getting into his groove for being fully fit, then the swelling sent him back. He is now in the National Cricket Academy, trying to recover with the physios and doctors,” he signed off.
