In a historic moment for cricket, the toss at the Perth Test between India and Australia on Friday morning marked the first time in 77 years that both teams were led by fast bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah, standing in as India’s captain for the first Test due to Rohit Sharma’s absence on paternity leave, faced off against Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, who has been leading since late 2021.

This unique scenario was a first in the long history of India-Australia cricket. The two teams first met in a Test series back in 1947-48, when India was led by all-rounder Lala Amarnath and Australia by the legendary Sir Donald Bradman. Over the decades, fast bowlers have never held the leadership roles for both teams in such a prestigious series.

Notably, Kapil Dev remains the last Indian fast bowler to captain the team in a Test series in Australia, during the 1985-86 tour. Meanwhile, no fast bowler had captained Australia against India in a Test match played in Australia until Cummins took the reins.

At the toss, Bumrah expressed confidence in his team, stating, “We are going to bat first, looks like a good wicket. Very confident with our preparation. We played a Test match here in 2018 so we know what to expect. The wicket gets quicker. Nitish makes his debut. We have 4 quicks and Washi is the lone spinner.”

Cummins, equally confident, said, “We were 50-50, either way we are pretty happy. Feel well placed, pretty fresh. Any format we (India-Australia) play seems fiercely fought. Nathan McSweeney makes our debut at the top of the order.”

This remarkable toss between two fast bowlers was a unique and historic moment in cricket history.