List of bowlers who captained India in Tests before Jasprit Bumrah

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been named captain of the team for the rescheduled Test against England, which begins on Friday (July 1). The BCCI announced the decision after regular captain Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the Test due to COVID-19.

It’s rare in India for bowlers to be named captain. From Polly Umrigar and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi to Mohammad Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar and, more recently, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, Indian cricket has preferred batters to lead the team.

It didn't come as a surprise then that Bumrah was the first fast bowler to lead India in Test cricket in 35 years and the first bowler since Anil Kumble in 2008. The 28-year-old, who has so far featured in 29 Tests in which he has claimed 123 wickets, is India’s 36th Test captain overall.

Let’s take a look at the five bowlers who led India in Test matches before Bumrah.

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#1 Ghulam Ahmed

A quality off-spinner, Ghulam Ahmed captained India in three Tests between 1955 and 1958 - one of them was against New Zealand and two against West Indies. Ahmed managed to draw the match against the Kiwis but lost both Tests against the mighty Windies.

As a player, he represented India in a total of 22 Tests, claiming 68 wickets at an average of 30.17. He claimed four five-fers and one 10-wicket match haul during the course of his Test career.

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#2 Srinivas Venkataraghavan

Another off-spinner during his playing days, Srinivas Venkataraghavan led India in five Tests from 1974-75 to 1979. India did not win a single Test under his tenure. They lost one match each against West Indies and England, while the other three games, all against England in England, ended in a draw.

Part of India’s famous spin quartet, Venkataraghavan claimed 156 wickets in 57 Tests at an average of 36.11.

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#3 Bishan Singh Bedi

Bishan Singh Bedi was a world-class spinner

Considered one of the greatest left-arm spinners ever, Bishan Singh Bedi captained India in 22 Tests from 1975-76 to 1978-79. With him at the helm, India won six matches and lost 11, with the other games producing no results.

Of his six wins as captain, two came in Australia during the 1977-78 tour. However, India lost the other three Tests and went down 3-2 in the five-match series. Bedi also led India to a Test win over the West Indies during the 1975-76 tour.

As a bowler, Bedi claimed 266 wickets in 67 Tests at an average of 28.71, which included 14 five-fers and one 10-wicket match haul.

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#4 Kapil Dev

The legendary Kapil Dev led India in 34 Tests from 1982-82 to 1986-87. Unfortunately, he did not enjoy much success as Test captain, despite his credentials as a limited-overs skipper. India won only four and lost seven of the matches Kapil led in. Twenty-three other Tests produced no results.

Kapil’s finest moment as Test skipper was leading India to a 2-0 series win in England in 1986. His other two Test wins as captain came against Sri Lanka at home in 1986-87.

As a pace bowler, he finished his Test career with a then-record 434 wickets from 131 matches and also scored over 5000 runs with the willow.

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#5 Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble celebrates the wicket of Michael Clarke during the 2007-08 Perth Test. Pic: Getty Images

Before Bumrah, former leg-spinner Anil Kumble was the last Indian bowler to captain India in a Test match. The former India coach led the country in 14 Tests from 2007 to 2008. India won three and lost five Tests during Kumble’s tenure as leader, while the other six ended in a draw.

His standout moment as leader was winning the Perth Test in 2007-08 immediately after the Monkeygate scandal in Sydney. As a bowler, he remains India’s leading Test wicket-taker, having claimed 619 scalps in 132 matches.