India made a stellar start to the five-match series at the Optus Stadium in Perth after Jasprit Bumrah led the team to a 295-run win over Pat Cummins’ Australia on Monday. Several legendary cricketers have showered praise on the ‘Men in Blue’ for their spectacular performance.
Sunil Gavaskar on Monday called Jasprit Bumrah capable of becoming a full-time captain of the Indian national team. He also rejected misconceptions that fast bowlers lack the potential to be good captains.
“He's only 30. So yes, clearly, he has shown that he can handle the cares of captaincy. Today also, the way he made the bowling changes tells you that he is putting a lot of thought into all his moves and once again disproving all that, you know, Bakwas that goes on that fast bowlers aren't good captains,” India Today quoted Gavaskar in an interview.
Rahul Dravid called India's victory a powerful comeback after their miserable performance against New Zealand. He also praised Jasprit Bumrah's “phenomenal” performance.
“It was a great performance. To come back the way they’ve done after losing the series against New Zealand, (there is) always pressure in the first game but I think the way they responded… Jasprit Bumrah was absolutely phenomenal that evening. When you talk about a spell that can crack open a series, crack open a Test match… it was incredible,” Dravid told JioCinema
Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and other cricketers also received admiration from former team India captain Sanchin Tendulkar admired the performance. In a social media post Tendulkar called India's victory against Australia more than just a result but an attempt of the team to “redefine the mental battle”.
"Virat Kohli capitalised well to take the total beyond Australia's reach. Even in the 2nd innings, our bowlers created pressure on the Aussie batters, unlike their bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah led the bowling attack from the front and delivered as a captain as well. This victory isn't just about the result, it's about redefining the mental battle," Tendulkar posted on X.
