Transition Time For Indian Test Team?

 

Since the World Test Championship final, there's quite some buzz around that it's time to replace a few players. The likes of Pujara and Rahane, in particular, were under the scanner after the match. 

 

The last time Pujara scored a test century was way back in January 2019 when he played a brilliant inning of 193 runs against Australia in Sydney. Ajinkya Rahane has had an average of over 42 since that test match but his case is a bit different. Rahane has blown too hot and cold throughout the majority part of his career. With players like Hanuma Vihari and KL Rahul eagerly waiting for their opportunities, the time has already started to run out for the above mentioned experienced duo.

 

But this is not the only reason why the current Indian test setup needs a revamp. Consider the playing XI that took on the Kiwis in the WTC Final. 

 

Seven of the eleven players there will be 33 or above by the end of the year. These players form the core of the Indian team and are the sure-shot picks for the eleven on any given day. 

 

The time to hang the boots for the seven of them shall also approach in quick succession, and that is where the problem lies. If the management does not look to bring new faces in the next few series, the team might be left in shambles when the veterans start leaving the test arena. 

 

The curious case of Rohit Sharma

 

Rohit Sharma is probably one of the best openers India has ever had. He has had a dream run in the limited-overs format since he started opening for India, but his test career has always been a start-stop journey. Sharma has been able to feature consistently in the Indian test team only after he started to open in 2019. Being the only Indian to score over 1000 runs in test cricket since then, Rohit affirmed his place in the playing eleven.

 

But as mentioned above, Rohit is 34 years old right now and has been struggling with injuries of late. Subsequently, he was forced to miss the test series in New Zealand and also the first couple of test matches in Australia. Despite playing big, marathon knocks time and again, Rohit is not considered as one of the fittest Indian players.

 

It won't be wrong to say that his career got a new life at the age of 31 but it is a fact that soon he might have to drop test cricket to lengthen his career in the limited-overs format. Currently, he is also the second vice-captain of the team after Ajinkya Rahane. Understandably, it won't be an easy decision to replace him at the moment but the time's running out for Sharma and he could face the unfortunate consequences if he fails to perform consistently in India's next few assignments.

 

The right balance

 

Having the right balance in a team, not only skill-wise but also keeping the age factor into consideration, is important. A team must have a smooth transition else the situation can be as critical as that of modern-day Sri Lanka. Most of the doyens of Sri Lankan cricket left the team in quick successions and as a result, the team was left in a fiasco.

 

A playing XI must have a nice mix of players from different age groups. Players under 25 years of age shall get some good experience playing with the old-timers of the game and the ones in their late twenties shall provide the ultimate balance between the youngsters and the veterans. As time progresses, the roles shall switch automatically.

 

It is always good to have a vice-captain younger than the captain, just like the Indian team had Virat Kohli during MS Dhoni’s reign. This provides the younger one an opportunity to earn some basic experience as a decision-maker. The current Indian teams, both in white ball and red ball cricket, have the captain and the deputy of the same age. So it is unclear at the moment who'll be the next leader of the team.

 

The team balance analysed here might look a tad too technical, but ideally, it shall be perfect, especially in the long run.

 

Possible replacements 

 

India is blessed to have a vast pool of talented players. Several players have been consistently performing well for India A and their respective first-class teams.

 

 

With great batting stats and age by their side, these players could be the front runners for a spot in the team whenever up for grabs.

 

Rahul Dalal, 29, from Haryana was the highest runs scorer in the Ranji Trophy 2019-20. He managed to score 1340 runs at a humungous average of 95.71 and may look to make the most out of the upcoming opportunities and knock at the Indian test team entrance. Priyank Panchal could be an unlucky miss out despite being a consistent performer in the domestic circuit. He is thirty-one years old presently and the team management might overlook him, yet again.

 

Thankfully, India's bowling department looks solid and has a nice mix of young and experienced players. So there won't be any transitional blunders in that department.

 

While looking for young talent to fill up the voids, the management must opt for players performing consistently in the first class circuit. The selection of Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav for the test series against England was a surprising decision. Both Mumbaikars’ selection was heavily backed by their consistent show in the T-20 and List-A formats.

 

Ideally, the first-class cricketers should have got a nod ahead of them as test cricket is a completely different ball game. The game demands red ball specialists and it is important for the team management to show faith in the domestic first-class cricketers. If the players keep getting an upper hand due to their performances in the IPL and List-A cricket, then the Ranji Trophy might be left futile.

 

Conclusion

 

The Indian team last saw a transition after the 2011 World Cup under the leadership of MS Dhoni. Players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and Zaheer Khan walked into the sunset in the next four years. Probably, it is time for the current team management to initiate a smooth transition in the test team as well.

 

MS Dhoni might not be happily praised by the players who lost their spot in the team during the transition phase, but what he did was for the betterment of Indian cricket. So we, as cricket fans, should also support the current Indian skipper if he commences a transition any time soon, regardless of what results the new faces yield for team India.