Jasprit Bumrah walks the talk: Smiling assassin shoulders extra burden with ease

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Jasprit Bumrah, in his second Test as captain, looked more assured. With support from Virat Kohli, the world's best pacer lead an inspiring fightback from India on a spicy pitch in Perth on Friday.

In Short

• Jasprit Bumrah led India’s fightback from the front with a special spell
• Bumrah bowled 10 overs, picked 4 wickets, sowed panic in Aussie camp
• India fought back, had Australia reeling at 67 for 7 at Stumps

Jasprit Bumrah had a forgettable debut as Test captain in 2022. The generation of fast bowler, known for possessing one of the finest thinking minds, had stood-in for Rohit Sharma once before in his career. He seemed overawed by the sense of occasion in Birmingham when England overcame a first-innings deficit to gun down a 378-run target. However, it was not the case when Bumrah had the honour of leading the world’s most-followed Test team again.

In Perth, against Australia, a more mature and assured Bumrah took charge. His bold decision at the toss on a spicy Perth pitch was not backed by his batters, yet he remained unfazed. With a red Kookaburra in hand and his signature smile, Bumrah worked his magic.

He dismantled the Australian top order, sowing panic in their dressing room. As the evening sun set over Perth, Bumrah, content and exhilarated, led his team off the field, much to the delight of millions back home.

With the captain’s armband, Bumrah looked even more menacing.

Promoted to Test vice-captain ahead of the series, Bumrah’s elevation was a well-deserved recognition of his match-winning abilities. When Rohit Sharma withdrew from the series opener after becoming a father again, Bumrah faced a mammoth challenge: leading a bruised Indian side against a confident Australian team at one of the most intimidating venues for visiting teams.

Yet, Bumrah bore the additional burden with remarkable ease. With guidance from former captain Virat Kohli, Bumrah did not put a foot wrong in the final session, which swung the game in India’s favour on a day when 17 wickets fell.

AUS vs IND 1st Test, Day 1 Highlights | Report

Though Bumrah has long been viewed as a worthy captaincy candidate, concerns over workload management lingered. Before the Perth Test, some worried he might overexert himself in what promised to be a grueling five-Test series.

The skipper, however, dismissed these fears with a bold statement, asserting that “bowler Bumrah” would be best managed by “captain Bumrah.”

“I can manage myself the best when I am the captain. I know when I’m fresh, when I need to push myself, and when to take on extra responsibility,” Bumrah said confidently.

“I look at the advantages. I understand how the wicket is changing, what field settings work in the moment, and the fact that bowlers are increasingly data-driven and research-oriented, which is the way the game is evolving.”

CAPTAIN X LEAD BOWLER: MORE LETHAL BUMRAH

Bumrah backed his words with action.

When it was India’s turn to bowl, Bumrah knew early breakthroughs were essential after an underwhelming batting display. He was breathing fire from the word go, showing the way for Mohammed Siraj and debutant Harshit Rana.

He did not go searching for wickets. He kept it simple and allowed the spicy nature of the pitch to help him. In the third over of the match, Bumrah’s nip-backed ended Nathan McSweeney’s debut knock. The ball crashed into the batter’s pads, but Bumrah was not sure of whether or not to take a review. And that’s when Virat Kohli chipped in with his thoughts. Bumrah was convinced to take the review and it worked in India’s favour.

Bumrah then bowled the momentum-chaning seventh over. He came around the wicket to bowl to Usman Khawaja. He got one to pitch on a good length and seam away from the left-hander. Khawaja couldn’t help but edge it to Virat Kohli in the second slip. In the very next delivery, Bumrah got the big fish -- Steve Smith. He bowled it fast and full. The ball jagged back from outside the off-stump to hit Smith flush on the pads. A golden duck for Australia’s best Test batter, courtesy of Bumrah.

Bumrah was relentless with the new ball. He bowled six overs in one go. He gave short spells to Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana from the other end.

In the final hour, Bumrah could have given his fourth and fifth bowlers a go. However, sensing the need to pile up pressure on Australia, he returned for a two-over spell in which he even changed ends once.

With a little over 10 minutes left in the extended day’s play, Bumrah had to make another crucial call. A couple of on-air commentators were expecting either Washington Sundar or Nitish Reddy to get an over or two. However, Bumrah brought himself back into the attack. The move worked as the India captain dismissed his counterpart Pat Cummins, who is more than capable of hurting the opposition with a handy contribution. Cummins made only 3 on Friday.

Bumrah has never shied away from expressing his interest to captain India. If Friday’s show in Perth was anything to go by, the selectors and the team management might not think twice before zeroing in on Rohit’s successor whenever the senior campaigner decides to step away from the format.

Only a select few have thrived under the added burden of captaincy. Bumrah appears to be cut from the same cloth as his first Test captain.