Leg and Off: Would appointing Jasprit Bumrah as India's Test captain be risky?

Team India left Australia with several questions and few answers after the disappointing 1-3 series defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While the form of several batters and support bowlers has come under scrutiny, the captaincy question has dominated the headlines.

With skipper Rohit Sharma enduring arguably the worst phase of his Test career as captain and a batter, former players and fans have speculated his place in the Indian red-ball side. As the vice-captain of the Test unit, Jasprit Bumrah is the obvious choice as India's next Test captain should Rohit not be part of the side in the future.

Yet, former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif went against popular belief and warned the side about appointing Bumrah as the full-time Test captain.

"BCCI should think twice before appointing Bumrah as full-time captain. He needs to solely focus on taking wickets and staying fit. Added leadership responsibility, getting carried away in the heat of the moment can result in injuries and shorten an outstanding career. Don’t kill the golden goose," he tweeted.

Kaif's remarks have created cause to pause and weigh the risks and rewards behind making Bumrah India's Test captain.

Before taking the monumental Bumrah decision should Rohit's tenure as captain be done, here are some of the crucial factors that must be considered.

Bumrah's extensive injury history makes it a dicey decision

Bumrah has battled injuries throughout his illustrious career. [Source: Getty]

Jasprit Bumrah being an out-and-out speedster with an injury history makes the captaincy decision tricky. Despite India managing his workload in as prudent a way as possible, the 31-year-old has found himself on the sidelines all too often.

Apart from the usual physical hindrances most fast bowlers go through, Bumrah's unorthodox and complicated bowling action has made him further susceptible to injuries. The champion pacer has suffered multiple back injuries, dating back to 2019, when a lower-back stress fracture ruled him out for three months.

The injury trend continued in 2021 when an abdominal strain forced him to miss the final Test of the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Despite a relatively quick comeback, Bumrah was once again sidelined when further back issues relegated him to the bench for a year from mid-2022 to just before the 2023 ODI World Cup.

While he seemed to have finally put the injury torment behind him, another back-related injury kept him out for most of the final Test of the recently concluded Australian series. Recent reports suggest his recovery could take several months.

Bumrah's injury history and its recurring possibilities pose the biggest threat to him being appointed as India's next captain. Test cricket, among other formats, warrants continuity, especially with India likely to transition and enter their next phase, and Bumrah's injury concerns could jeopardize the same.

Recent and past examples should help mitigate the risk

Cummins has led Australia admirably over the past few years. [Source: Getty]

What could bring India comfort is the recent success of pacers as Test captains. Much like Bumrah, current Aussie skipper Pat Cummins carried such injury concerns when he was appointed their captain for Tests and ODIs at the end of 2021.

Yet, three years later, it might be the best decision Australian cricket took as Cummins has established himself as arguably the world's best captain. He led the side to glory in the World Test Championship (WTC) and ODI World Cup in 2023 and has helped them qualify for a second consecutive WTC final in 2025.

Cummins isn't the lone example of a pacer becoming a strong Test captain. The recently retired New Zealand pacer Tim Southee led the Test side for almost two years even at age of 34 and 35.

India's very own legendary pace-bowling all-rounder Kapil Dev captained the Test side in 34 matches over four years from 1983 to 1987. Hence, a pacer becoming a permanent and successful captain is nothing new, yet, teams have often been unwilling to take a chance over the years.

The unpredictable performance index

Two of India's stalwarts have been at the opposite end of performances as captains. [Source: Getty]

Captaincy does funny things to a cricketer and the unpredictability makes it a challenging decision to make for the team management. While some enjoy the additional responsibility and enhance their batting or bowling performances, others shrink under the burden and the pressure that comes along with captaincy.

India's two most recent captains, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, provide the perfect example for both the above-mentioned cases. The former thrived with the bat as captain in Tests, averaging almost 55 in 68 outings, compared to his average of 37.40 as non-captain in 55 games.

However, the polar opposite has transpired in Rohit's case, with the right-handed batter averaging a dismal 30.58 as captain, compared to his 46.87 as non-captain. In Bumrah's case, the sample space as of now is way too small, yet, revealing.

The ace pacer has led India in three Tests, picking up 15 wickets at a stunning average of 16.46. He was the Player of the Match in India's Perth Test win of the recent Australian series.

Bumrah even won the Player of the Series in the Ireland T20Is in 2023 as captain - further evidence of leadership helping his performance than hurting it.

Is Bumrah almost a default option?

Do India press the Virat Kohli captaincy button again in Tests? [Source: Getty]

Batters almost always captain a Test side over bowlers because of the latter's selection hinging on team combinations and pitches. However, when it comes to Bumrah, he walks into the Indian playing XI across all conditions as arguably their Most Valuable Player (MVP), barring fitness issues.

Just that makes him an excellent captaincy option, along with the side pulling off an incredible 295-run win against Australia in Perth, even as they were going through an otherwise terrible patch in the red-ball format.

The other question that needs to be asked should India second guess the Bumrah captaincy decision - who are the other options? Considering Kohli's place in the Test side hanging in the balance and with the batter at the back end of his career, going back to him might not be a futuristic view. While his success as a Test skipper is undeniable, his appointment to start a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle feels short-sighted at best.

It is hard to place such a heavy burden on younger players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, among others at this stage in their careers. Several others are either nearing the end of the road like Ravindra Jadeja or are not permanent members in the playing XI.

It makes Rishabh Pant the only other realistic contender but his lack of captaincy experience rules that possibility out. Hence, just by default, if nothing else, India might be best served to appoint Bumrah as Rohit's successor in the long format.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the rewards outweigh the risks when it comes to Jasprit Bumrah and Test captaincy. Barring the injury concerns, which could affect continuity, all the other key factors work in his favor.

Final Verdict: Team India should appoint Jasprit Bumrah as their next Test captain.