Jasprit Bumrah ‘wanted that leadership role’: India bowling coach praises ‘captain’

Bowling coach Morne Morkel branded an A-Lister Jasprit Bumrah as a “natural leader” before he goes to bat for the Indian captain in the first match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia in Perth. WITH Rohit Sharma Bumrah, who will miss the first Test of the much-awaited series, will take on the role of captain. The 30-year-old was named as Bumrah’s deputy when the squad was unveiled. When reports emerged that Rohit would be sidelined for the first Test, Bumrah emerged as the ideal candidate for the role. This will be the second time that Bumrah will lead the team after his performance in 2022 against England.

With Bumrah leading the pace attack and the team, Morkel believes the star player will excel in both roles.

“Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah) was the guy who immediately raised his hand and wanted to take that leadership role. He has had great success here in the past. He knows what to expect. He speaks well in the locker room. the guy I know with the ball in his hand will lead the way and then the rest of the young guys will follow,” Morkel said at a press conference ahead of the first Test on Friday.

The hype surrounding BGT was surreal. India suffered their first home Test series defeat in 24 years, while Australia’s ODI loss to Pakistan added another layer of spice to the bitter rivalry.

Given India’s subpar performance in Test cricket in Perth, expectations weigh heavily on Bumrah’s shoulders.

Morkel believes that with everything going on in the series opener, once things settle down there will be a state of calm within the team.

“He faces a difficult challenge. But we must be right. We have a lot of experienced guys who will help him. And I’m sure when he’s bowling and there’s a million things going on, his head will calm down and bring a little peace to the team,” he said.

“But in terms of leadership and the way he looks at the game and produces the game, he is a natural leader for me and has been trained. Let’s see how we conduct our business here,” he added.