Who should captain India in the fifth Test match against England if Rohit Sharma does not recover in time?

Rohit Sharma is down with COVID-19 ahead of the remaining Test of the series against England and the update from BCCI is as follows:

"Team India captain Mr Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday. He is currently in isolation at the team hotel and is under the care of the BCCI Medical Team. An RT-PCR test will be conducted on Sunday to ascertain his CT value".

With less than a week to go for the Test, we could be in for a scenario where India would go into the Test with Rohit Sharma, their permanent skipper, unavailable.

Kashish Chadha - Jasprit Bumrah

Captaincy has always been a subjective debate. We tend to miss the point. Either captains are raved over with misplaced credit or they get unnecessary blame when the chips are down. Only two Tests into his captaincy tenure, Rohit Sharma hasn't really had a chance to leave his imprint onto things. In essence, it remains head coach Rahul Dravid's team. 

Yet, to deny Rohit's calming on-field presence and its value to the Indian team, especially that pace attack, would be a touch ignorant. At a time when Ishant Sharma is not around anymore, and India need their attack to keep things under 'control', a figure of Rohit's stature and attitude at mid-on can be very influential. 

Also Read: Watch: Virat Kohli upper cuts Jasprit Bumrah for a six in the warmup game against Leicestershire

The virtue of calmness, then, makes it important to identify someone equally sedate in his mindset at the helm of affairs in Edgbaston if Rohit doesn't recover from Covid. 

With that established, one wouldn't need to look too far off ace quick Jasprit Bumrah to handle the side for the fifth and final Test against England. Bumrah, an incisive, all-conquering pacer, has always been a calming influence on the field. 

India feel secure with Bumrah taking the ball in his hands and it would make all the sense if, with Rohit sidelined and KL Rahul out injured, the team management led by coach Rahul Dravid asks him to look after things for one Test match. 

Rohit Sankar - Virat Kohli

It's farfetched sure, but it's a series Virat Kohli began, and would only be fitting if he ends it, ideally leading India to a win. The 2021 tour of England was characterized by some fiery bowling from the Indian quicks, but Kohli egging them up with his on-field demeanor was an unforgettable highlight from the series.

Not going to happen, but Virat Kohli as captain to complete the epic Test series he began would be quite something. Would like to hear his stump mic thoughts on Bazball 😉 #ENGvIND

— Rohit Sankar (@imRohit_SN) June 26, 2022

The other options India have are Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant, but while Bumrah could be overburdened by captaincy, Pant is someone India need to have with a clear mind, especially if they need to counter England's new-found mantra in Test cricket - the Baz-ball. 

The Test can sort of mark the end of Kohli's captaincy era and be the farewell Test that so many wished they'd get to see. While it seems highly unlikely, having Kohli at the helm for this one-off Test won't be the worst idea. After all, he managed this very team and carried batting responsibilities simultaneously for a few years. Also, this is a series he began and it wouldn't be as odd for him to take over for this one Test to finish this series.

Prasenjit Dey - Jasprit Bumrah

India don't have that many reliable options to lead the team if Rohit Sharma doesn't recover in time. KL Rahul, who led India in the series in South Africa, is sidelined with injury. Rishabh Pant, who led India during the T20Is against the Proteas at home, hasn't looked convincing either. Going back to Virat Kohli as captain is also something that looks too far-fetced  considering the events from the last one year or so.

In such circumstances, the only reliable option that India have is Jasprit Bumrah. He has been the leader of their bowling attack in all formats for quite a long time and he has fared pretty well in that role consistently. So now it's the right time for him to step up into this leadership role that demands so much responsibility. 

Bumrah has the ability to stay calm under pressure and he delivers in crisis more often than not. It's an attribute you always look for in a leader and that makes him the right man for this job.