Unpopular Opinion: Jasprit Bumrah not the best option for Test captaincy, Team India has to look at Rishabh Pant

On Wednesday, when the latest ICC rankings were released, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah only extended his supremacy as the best Test bowler in the world. He has 908 points now and is 68 points clear of Pat Cummins, who is second at 841 points. And surely enough, the Indian deserves to be where he is today. In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he bagged 32 wickets in 5 Tests, at an average of 13, leading the team in two matches.

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No Doubt, Jasprit Bumrah is the Best

But the more important stat here is that he bowled 151 overs, fourth-highest in series. And the result was that he sustained a back injury, whose extent is still not known. In what is predicted by various reports, he could have a back spasm or even a stress fracture. This puts India in a major predicament, not only with regards to the future tournaments lined up—IND vs ENG limited-overs series, Champions Trophy, IPL and Test series vs England—but also with regards to who will take over the Test captaincy once Rohit Sharma hangs his boots from the longest format.

Well, one thing is certain: Rohit won’t be around for very long in Tests at least, given his poor performance in the BGT, where he only scored 31 runs, and his captaincy was rather poor. And Bumrah was looked at as a natural successor. But that is something that should be totally avoided. Not that the 31-year-old is not capable; he led India well in Perth and Sydney, but then, due to his bowling action, he is just too fragile and too valuable to be lost.

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Bumrah’s Long List of Injuries

And already in his career, he has been through a few major injuries and surgeries that have propelled him to miss many matches for India. An all-format bowler that Bumrah is, chances cannot be taken and some alternatives should be looked at by the stakeholders. Look at Bumrah’s injury history.

In 2018, he had fractured his thumb during T20Is vs Ireland. Then in September 2019, he was diagnosed with a lower back stress fracture, that led him to miss series’ against South Africa and Bangladesh. Then, in 2021, during the BGT, he suffered an abdominal strain, and missed the Brisbane Test, which India went on to win. 2022 saw his again injure his back and missed the Asia Cup. A hasty comeback meant that his injury went worse and he underwent back surgery in 2023.

Most overworked pacers for India in 2024 ft. Bumrah

Player	Inns	Overs	Runs	Wkts	BBI	Ave	Econ	SR
Bumrah	34	386.4	1184	86	6/45	13.76	3.06	26.9
Siraj	34	331.3	1354	40	6/15	33.85	4.08	49.7
Akash Deep	12	146.5	528	15	3/83	35.20	3.59	58.7
Arshdeep	20	81.5	591	38	4/9	15.55	7.22	12.9
Pandya	16	51.0	420	16	3/20	26.25	8.23	19.1

Rishabh Pant or Virat Kohli as Test Captains?

Due to that, he missed nearly a year. So, it is pretty evident that his body can’t sustain the rigours of repeated pressure of international cricket. Instead, one of the options that the BCCI could consider is Rishabh Pant. He has already been in the decision-making group of the Test side, has the ability to lead, and has performances under his belt too.

If not him, the Test team can revert to Virat Kohli at the helm, who showed his leadership is still valuable in BGT. In fact, he has an excellent record as a Test skipper. IN 68 matches he has led in, he won 40 and lost only 17. So, now with this another injury to Bumrah, the decision might have to come quick, or else India must be prepared to win without him.

Cricket India vs Australia India vs England India Cricket Team Jasprit Bumrah Rishabh Pant Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli