Jasprit Bumrah was India's captain the last time he and the team faced England in a Test match and the fast bowler said he wouldn't mind taking over permanently
It was hence a memorable game and Bumrah has said that if given the opportunity, he wouldn't hesitate to take over as India's permanent Test captain.
“I did one game and it was the utmost honour," Bumrah was quoted as saying by The Guardian. “Playing Test cricket is great, captaining was even better. Yes, we lost but we were ahead in the match and I loved the responsibility. Sometimes as a fast bowler you go down to fine leg and switch off but I loved being involved in every decision, right in the thick of things. And given the opportunity, of course, who wouldn’t?"
'Fast bowlers are the smart ones'
Examples of fast bowlers becoming successful captains, particularly in Test cricket, is rare but one of Bumrah's contemporaries is a prime example. Australia's Pat Cummins, widely rated among the best fast bowlers in the world across formats, has led Australia to victory in the World Test Championship and the World Cup last year, apart from retaining the Ashes in England. Bumrah said that the number of matches Australia play may be different but Cummins is a good example.
“(Cummins) plays for Australia, the number of matches differs and that kind of thing. Not many [seamers] have done it before. But it’s a good example that yes, fast bowlers are the smart ones, they do a hard job and they know what to do around the game,” said Bumrah.