Rohit Sharma opting out of the fifth test match in the border Gavaskar series, with the equation of the series hanging 2-1 in Australia’s favor, calls into question his test future. Sharma opted out of the final test match due to concerns of injury and subpar fitness, however, his poor string of scores in tests could also be a major reason for his omission.
Rohit had been struggling to find form throughout the series as he managed to stitch together only 156 runs in the seven innings he played. His inability to play the long innings in tests made him more or less a liability in the longest format. After missing out on the first test of the series due to personal reasons, Sharma failed into click into form upon joining the team in the second test. His performance as a captain was underpar, as India suffered back-to-back defeats under his captaincy.
India’s fortunes appeared to have magically changed after winning the Perth test with a massive margin, especially after being white-washed by the touring Kiwis in a three-match test series prior. Bumrah, the stand-in captain in place of Sharma, who is also leading India in the on-going fifth test at SCG, against all expectations, led India to a handsome victory against a strong Australian side.
Read more: Sam Konstas-Jasprit Bumrah face-off: Latest of several player duels in Border-Gavaskar series
With Rohit missing out on the last test, the Indian management must address an important question of who would be the ideal candidate to replace Rohit Sharma, who has been so successful as the Indian captain.
The most obvious answer would be Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah has a proven track record as a successful stand-in captain, putting up his hand whenever asked. However, with his awkward action making him incredibly injury prone, questions of his availability and consistency in the cricket longest format. A few years ago, Bumrah was away from the game for more than year after suffering an ankle injury. If Jasprit were to suffer an injury again it would compel the team find another captain.
So, should India look towards a like of KL Rahul, or Shubman Gill, who is highly rated to be India’s next captain, to replace Sharma as the full-time test captain.
The Indian team has been undergoing a swift transition in the past few years, with many of the veterans members retiring or falling out of favor. Several talented young players have emerged as bright spots in the team. Many of whom have previously led the team to heroic victories and played some incredible innings in the past.
The heroics of Rishabh Pant in the 2021 Border-Gavaskar trophy made him the top contender to take over India’s test captaincy. However, his unfortunate accident dropped him down the captaincy peking oder. However, after scoring a blistering century in his comeback test has once again raised his stocks as the next test captain.
As Pant missed out on action, Shubham Gill made his breakthrough as a fine young batsmen, scoring a string of handsome centuries, convincing enough to be thought of as the future captain. His boyish charm and civility on and off the field captivated many fans, who dubbed him as the next test captain.
Before the arrival of Gill, many thought that the test captaincy would go to the KL Rahul, who broke through the ranks as a striking young batsmen, with a reputation for playing stylish innings. However, his inconsistent performances and the constant up and down in form, has forced him to fall out of favor for the Indian test captaincy. However, Rahul is looked up as an inspiring senior figure by the youngsters in the team and highly regarded as a skillful player.
The Indian team management could also look towards someone like a Nitish Reddy. The new kid on the block has impressed cricket fans by putting up strong performance in the on-going Border-Gavaskar trophy, while also rescuing the Indian team from utter humiliation at several points in the series.
Yashaswi Jaiswal on the back of brilliant performances in both home and away tests has proved his mettle as player. His calm and composed demeanor both on and off the field has compelled many to view him as viable option for the Indian test captaincy. Jaiswal has showcased his ability to constantly evolve as a player, while improving on his minute weakness. He not the own who would sit still and watch the world go by, he os constantly evolving as player and is steadily cementing his position as an opener in tests.
With the influx of talented young cricketers rising up the ranks, the Indian Cricket Team is furnished with bright talent worthy enough to take over the Indian captaincy. The likes of Gill, Pant, Rahul will also be seen captioning their respective sides in the upcoming edition of the IPL that will make them more seasoned as captains.
