Perth [Australia]: Bowling coach Morne Morkel has branded A-Lister Jasprit Bumrah as a “natural leader” before he walks for the toss to captain India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy series opener against Australia in Perth.
With Rohit Sharma set to miss the first Test of the highly-anticipated series, Bumrah will take the role of skipper. The 30-year-old was appointed as Bumrah’s deputy when the squad was unveiled.
When reports started to suggest Rohit being sidelined for the opening Test, Bumrah emerged as the ideal candidate to take up the role. This will be the second instance of Bumrah leading the side following his spell in 2022 against England.
With Bumrah spearheading the pace attack and the team, Morkel believes that the star pacer will excel in both roles.
“Jassi [Jasprit Bumrah] was a guy who immediately put his hand up, and he wanted that leadership role. He’s been very successful here in the past. He knows what to expect. In the dressing room, he speaks well. And he’s a guy who I know that, with the ball in hand, will lead from the front and then the rest of the younger guys will follow,” Morkel said in a press conference ahead of the opening Test on Friday.
The hype around the BGT has been surreal. India suffering its first home Test series whitewash in 24 years and Australia tasting defeat in ODIs against Pakistan has added another layer of spice to the heated rivalry.
Considering India’s substandard record in Test cricket in Perth, the expectations have been mounting up on Bumrah’s shoulders.
With everything going around in the backdrop of the series opener, Morkel feels once everything settles, a state of calmness will ensue in the team.
“It’s an exciting sort of challenge ahead for him. But we’ve got to be right. We’ve got a lot of experienced guys who will help him. And I’m sure when he’s bowling and a million things are going on in his head that will settle and bring a bit of calmness into the team,” he said.
“But in terms of leadership and in terms of how he looks at the game and produces the game, he’s a natural leader for me with training. Let’s see how we go about our business here,” he added.