India are all set to face Australia in the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The first Test of this five-match series will kick-start from Friday in Perth. Ahead of the first match, India have already faced several downs as their skipper Rohit Sharma will not play the opening game due to the birth of his second child. In his absence, star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be leading the team. Apart from this, young batter Shubman Gill has also picked up an injury and is all but out of the first game.

Former India batter Kirti Azad, who was also a part of the 1983-World Cup winning team, stated that Rohit will definitely be missed but also went on to say that “no player is indispensable”.

“Nobody is weak or strong by one player. But yes, Rohit, being the captain, has led from the front, he will be missed,” Azad told Times Of India.

“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,” he added.

As Bumrah will be leading the team, it is going to be a double whammy for his as he is also the senior pacer in the team. Azad compared Bumrah’s situation to Kapil Dev, who also guided India to the 1983 World Cup title.

“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,” said Azad.

After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.