Ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah is set to lead the Indian team for only the second time in a Test in the series-opener against Australia in Perth. Bumrah will have his task cut out with India captain Rohit Sharma all but out of the game at the Optus Stadium, which gets underway on Friday. Rohit became a father for the second time last week after his wife gave birth to a baby boy. The veteran batter didn’t travel with the team to Australia, and has been practising alone in Mumbai to remain in shape.

While Rohit will join the team for the pink ball Test in Adelaide next month, former India all-rounder Kirti Azad feels his absence is a huge point of concern for the the team. However, Azad is confident that Bumrah will do justice to his leadership duties without compromising on his role as the lynchpin of India’s bowling attack.

“Nobody is weak or strong by one player. But yes, Rohit, being the captain, has led from the front, he will be missed. Yes. It’s a point of worry. And since he’s been the captain for a long time, nobody’s indispensable. But then again, he is the most important cog in the wheel as far as the Indian team is concerned. So we expect him to do well,” Azad told the Times of India.

Bumrah’s only previous appearance as captain of the Test team came against England at Edgbaston in 2022. He picked five wickets – 3/68 and 2/74 – and smashed Stuart Broad for 35 runs in an over, but India ended up on losing the match

Azad, who was part of India’s World Cup-winning squad in 1983, also gave the example for former skipper Kapil Dev, who thrived as a player during his tenure as captain. Azad, however, feels the ball is in Bumrah’s court and it is up to him to prove his captaincy credentials.

“I played with Kapil Dev, one of the greatest all-rounders in the world. Captaincy never hampered his performances. It depends on the situation. If your team is playing well, and your changes give you results, then you’re a good captain. If it doesn’t give you results, then you’re a bad captain,” he added.