Jasprit Bumrah vs Rohit Sharma: Simon Katich Praises Bumrah’s Captaincy
Jasprit Bumrah has earned high praise for his leadership. It comes from former Australian cricketer Simon Katich. He found Bumrah’s captaincy better than Rohit Sharma’s. Bumrah captained India in two Tests. In his second match, he won by 295 runs against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The win gave India a 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
In contrast, Rohit Sharma returned for the second match after missing the opener. He struggled as a leader and with the bat. India lost the Adelaide Test under his captaincy by a huge 10 wickets. This allowed Australia to level the series.
Bumrah’s Tactical Brilliance in Perth
Simon Katich noted a big difference in leadership styles during the series. He focused on Bumrah’s use of his bowlers in Perth.
“When you compare the results of Perth and Adelaide, Bumrah captaincy and the use of the bowlers were far superior to what we saw at the Adelaide Oval. On Day 1 in Perth, Indian bowlers attacked the stumps and bowled fuller and straighter lengths,” Katich said on the ‘Around the Wicket’ podcast
Katich said Bumrah’s proactive approach was key to India’s success in Perth. The Indian bowlers attacked the stumps with fuller, straighter lengths. This left Australia’s batsmen in disarray.
Rohit Sharma’s Leadership Under Fire
On the other hand, Katich criticized Rohit Sharma’s tactics during the Adelaide Test. He pointed out that the bowlers strayed to shorter, wider lengths. They failed to replicate the effectiveness seen in Perth. Despite being positioned in the slips, Rohit did not take corrective action.
“The bowlers were short and wider in Adelaide and Rohit Sharma allowed didn’t correct the pacers despite standing in the slips. He has to be proactive as a captain. Australia got out of jail in the last session on Day 1 as the hosts lost just 1 wicket and went on to win the contest by 10 wickets,” he added.
Rohit’s Personal Form Raises Concerns
Adding to the woes, Rohit’s batting form took a dip in Adelaide. The Indian captain managed only 3 and 6 runs in two innings. This left the visitors struggling to set a competitive total. His inability to lead from the front with the bat drew further scrutiny from fans and analysts alike.
A Tale of Two Captains
As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy moves to its next phase, doubts about India’s leaders remain. Jasprit Bumrah has shown promise as a smart leader. But, Rohit Sharma must regroup and make big changes to keep his captaincy.
