Jasprit Bumrah is the stand-in skipper for India during the Edgbaston Test against England. Meanwhile, head coach Rahul Dravid praised him as a leader.
It is a special moment for Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, as he leads Team India in the rescheduled fifth Test from last year, being played at Edgbaston in Birmingham from Friday. He is standing in for regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who is recovering from COVID. It is Bumrah's maiden stint as the skipper while expressing his honour and confidence in being bestowed with the duties. In contrast, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid heavily praised the pacer for his leadership abilities and affirmed that his understanding of the game could make him a great leader.
"I think he [Bumrah] is very thoughtful, understands the game very well. Also, he commands the team's respect, which is very important as a leader. Bowling changes and field changes obviously will only get better with time. It's a new challenge," Dravid told Sony Sports during a pre-match interview.
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"It's not easy for a fast bowler to captain. He's got to think about his bowling too. I have had a few conversations with him and told him we need him more as a bowler. Captaincy is something you'll get better at as you do it more," added Dravid.
"A lot of talks about England and their style of batting. I'm looking forward to it. The quality we have in our fast bowling is something that we take pride in. They have performed worldwide, and I think it's going to be an interesting contest," Dravid continued.
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"It's about focusing on ourselves than on the opposition. Hitting the top of an off-stump is still a perfect ball, and it's about hitting that spot consistently. If they [England] have the skill to attack our best deliveries, good luck to them," concluded Dravid.