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‘I think he will get better’ – Michael Clarke looks forward to seeing Jasprit Bumrah lead India in absence of Rohit Sharma

Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke makes a huge statement about Jasprit Bumrah leading Team India during the first Test in Perth starting on Friday.

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Jasprit Bumrah (Source-X)

Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke is eagerly waiting for the start of the five-match Test series against India. The 43-year-old stated that he is looking forward to seeing the Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah lead the visitors during the opening match. Rohit Sharma is expected to miss the game and play the second game in Adelaide. 

Michael Clarke with the TAB YouTube channel said, “Bumrah… leading wicket-taker for India. I think these expectations of how good he is are going to bring the best out of him. Some people can shy away from it; I don’t think he will. I think he will get better. And if he captains the first Test, that will inspire him to lead from the front. I will be nervous. I will be worrying if I was Rohit Sharma coming to Australia."

The former Australian skipper has also named Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant as India’s key players during the series. “Virat Kohli's record in Australia in phenomenal. I actually think his record is better than what it is in India. I think he's got six hundreds in 13 Tests in Australia. If India are to win this series, it has to be Virat Kohli leading run-scorer with Rishabh Pant just behind." 

Harbhajan Singh backs Rohit Sharma amidst criticism 

Former Indian star bowler Harbhajan Singh has thrown his weight behind Rohit Sharma. The 37-year-old was called out by former legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar for missing the first Test match. The 74-year-old had said that Jasprit Bumrah should be retained as the skipper even if Rohit Sharma plays the final four games of the series. 

Replying to this, the 44-year-old said, “If you win the first two Tests, then all Indians would want Bumrah to remain as captain. On the contrary, if India lose both of those games, they would want Rohit to return. We change sides very quickly. I'm not talking about Sunny sir here; I'm talking about the general public.”

The former Indian star also added, “I feel it's a great suggestion to have one captain for the entire series. That would be better. If India lose, nobody will question it. However, if India win and Rohit returns for the subsequent matches and then the team lose, that will spark a whole different scenario. But if India lose under both Rohit and Bumrah, they might want Virat Kohli as captain.”

Rohit Sharma Jasprit Bumrah Harbhajan Singh Sunil Gavaskar Border Gavaskar Trophy
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