A fast bowler as captain in India is rare with GS Ramchand and Kapil Dev being the exceptions. Jasprit Bumrah joined the elite list in Birmingham in 2022 when Rohit Sharma was laid low by Covid-19.

India lost the Test but Bumrah’s leadership stood out. Bumrah’s next opportunity has also come because Rohit is unavailable following the birth of his second child.

The opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth from Friday will pit two of the best fast bowlers in the business — Pat Cummins against Bumrah. Cummins already has a glorious record having won the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup.

But Bumrah enjoys the responsibility though captaincy is usually the domain of batters.

“I can manage myself the best when I am captain,” he said on Thursday. “Because I know when I am fresh, when I have to push myself and when I have to take extra responsibility. Obviously yes, there are different challenges but there are advantages as well... I look at the advantages, that I understand bowling.

“You understand where the wicket is changing, what changes you have to make, what field sets are good... Obviously, bowlers do a lot more research and are data-driven as well than batters because that is how the game is headed. So I look at the positives.”

Bumrah has already done his homework and is ready to trust his instincts.

“...I spoke to Rohit,” Bumrah said. “But when we came here, I got a little more clarity because he was also not sure about his situation at that moment. But yes, when I
came here the coach and the management gave me the clarity that I will be leading in this game.

“My way is, you have to find your own way, you can’t blindly copy anyone. Obviously both of them (Rohit and Virat Kohli, the two captains Bumrah has played under) are very successful and have gotten a lot of results. But my way, I have always never followed a copybook plan in terms of my bowling as well. If you can see that I have never followed a module, I go with my instincts.

“That’s how I have always played my cricket and I have a lot of faith in my instincts and gut. So that is what I go with and tactically as a bowler, you always make a lot of plans. You are well aware of what to do, what adjustments you have to make during the game of cricket. So yes, I look at it this way and I try to cover all the bases as much as I can.”

Bumrah knows the youngsters have an enormous task and his message is clear: trust your abilities.

“The message that I would give them is that I always believe in self-belief,” he said. “Because at this moment how cricket is going, everybody has played a lot of cricket.

“On that day, if you believe that you are good enough, you can make an impact. It doesn’t matter if you have played 100 Test matches or 50 Test matches, it depends on what is going on inside you.

“When I came here (in 2018) it was just my second tour. But in my head I wanted to make a difference and I was not thinking I am inexperienced... I was looking at myself that how can I contribute and if I believe I can do it then I will make a difference. So that is my message.”

Rohit to join Sunday

Regular captain Rohit has informed the Board that he will join the squad in Perth on Sunday. He will thus be available for the second Test in Adelaide from December 6.