20

May

Choosing Test Captain A Problem For Selectors

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With Rohit Sharma announcing retirement, there is intense debate in the media on who should take over as captain of India in Test Cricket, especially with a 5-Test tour of England coming up.

The debate further gets meddled what with plethora of cricket around – one day, T20, IPL, et al – and the performances of cricketers get mixed up.

Compounding the debate is the disastrous previous forays in Test cricket – a shocking loss at home to New Zealand and an equally pathetic loss to Australia in Australia, which left even the images of greats like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in tatters.

Add to it the fact long proven that performing in SENA countries is quite a challenge compared to home or places like Sri Lanka or Bangladesh and it should be factored in while making any selections.

If the selectors were consistent, which they have not been, the choice is straight forward – Jasprit Bumrah!

He has proven himself around the world in all formats, was named vice captain last India played Test cricket in Australia, captained in the absence of Rohit Sharam on that tour and actually won one of the two matches he was captain in.

However, the choice has been complicated by his injury proneness and concerns about his ability to play all 5 Test matches in England. This is a valid concern and it would make no sense to appoint a captain who can not last the whole series. It is hoped that the selectors have a frank chat with Bumrah and the medical team tracking his health on this subject and make a choice after that.

If Bumrah is available and fit to be captain, the choice of vice captain may be quite simple – Shubman Gill, although his overseas record especially in England and overall Test average of 35 leaves much to be desired.

 

 

Column at a Glance
With Rohit Sharma's retirement, the debate over the next captain of India's Test cricket team intensifies, especially with a challenging 5-Test tour of England approaching. Recent poor performances, including losses to New Zealand and Australia, have raised concerns about the team's leadership. Jasprit Bumrah emerges as a strong candidate due to his experience and past success, but his injury history complicates his potential captaincy. If Bumrah is unavailable, Shubman Gill is considered for vice-captaincy, though his lack of experience raises doubts about his readiness for captaincy. Other potential leaders include Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul, who have significant experience but face age-related limitations. Ultimately, the selectors must weigh performance, fitness, and leadership qualities carefully to make the best choice for the upcoming series.

 

The complication arises if Bumrah is not to be captain and workload management is planned meaning he would not play all 5 Tests.

In that case, India needs to have a new captain.

While choice of Gill may seem straight forward as vice captain, is he ready to be captain. The answer should be no – both on account of experience as also on performance as batter. In the currently competitive environment in Indian cricket with number of cricketers jostling for a place, unless he performs well, his place in the side could be uncertain. India can not risk the situation as in Sydney earlier this year where the captain had to drop himself for ;lack of runs.

If not Gill then who?

Let us look at who are certainties in the final 11.

Jaiswal and Rahul as openers to carry in the excellent work they did in Australia in an otherwise bleak winter.

Pant as first choice wicket keeper although his record in shorter format is nothing to write home about. He did well on his return after injury in Tests again Bangladesh and New Zealand in 2024 but struggled in Australia as batter. His captaincy experience is limited and he could be vice captain to be groomed rather than captain right away

Jadeja as the frontline spinner – who one would imagine would play in England as the only spinner normally to be supported by another in case a particular pitch shows signs of encouragement to spin.

That is about all. No one else can be considered to be a certainty right now.

Both Rahul and Jadeja are in their 30s but they have experience on their side – especially if the idea is to groom Gill or Pant who can be vice captain say for next couple of years.

Jadeja has a long and distinguished Test record behind him with 80 Tests, 3370 runs and 323 wickets. Purely on these statistics and as a reward for his service, he could be captain. But he is 36 and age is not on his side plus has limited captaincy experience.

Rahul has not had a great, consistent  career with 58 Test, 3257 runs and an average of about 34 but has added credentials which are not spoken about adequately in media – he has previously captained India in 15 plus matches across formats including 3 Tests with 2 wins and has the best record among all batters, including Rohit and Virat, in SENA countries in last 5 years – an average of 40 plus compared to Virat, Rohit, Gill and Pant who are averaging less than 35, and has 7 out of 8 Test hundreds overseas, all as opener. Rahul is 33 and though age is not on his side either, he could well be useful as interim captain for next 2 years or so while Gill or Pant are groomed to take over.

Its indeed a tough call for the selectors if Bumrah is to be ruled out. One should expect them to consider all factors when they sit down to make the final choice.

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