Rohit Sharma is set to continue in his role as Team India’s Test skipper when the side tours England in June.
Rohit Sharma is likely to continue as India’s Test captain for the upcoming five-match series in England, according to a report from the Indian Express. The Indian captain recently led India to a brilliant win in the Champions Trophy, where India beat New Zealand in the final in Dubai, and it seems Rohit’s captaincy has impressed the board, winning its faith to continue leading the side in the longest format.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir (L) with Rohit Sharma in Australia(ICC- X)
The U-turn over Rohit’s captaincy is interesting, considering a string of India’s underwhelming performances at home and away in the red-ball format over the past few months. India faced a 0-3 loss to New Zealand at home, and failed to win a single match under Rohit’s captaincy in Australia.
The report from Indian Express states that Rohit’s tactical acumen and leadership experience seem to have been the key factors in the decision. Despite India having a rich pool of top-order batters, the selectors believe there is no immediate successor who matches Rohit’s strategic expertise.
His ability to handle pressure, manage bowlers effectively, and set precise fields played a significant role in winning over the decision-makers. The report states that Rohit’s captaincy at the Champions Trophy, where he shuffled the spinners brilliantly and forced the opposition batters into submission, impressed the BCCI.
The board has also recognized that playing in England requires patience, adaptability, and an understanding of how to control the game’s tempo – the qualities that Rohit, the BCCI believes, has exhibited in recent white-ball success.
Lack of captaincy candidates?
It is also believed that while India has a quality batting order, they are currently short of captaincy candidates. While the likes of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are relatively inexperienced to lead a side in Tests, KL Rahul’s constant shuffling in the batting order, as well as his competition for spots with Pant, makes him an unsettling option.
Jasprit Bumrah has led the Indian team in Rohit’s absence, but his persistent issues with injuries may have also forced BCCI’s hand.
The decision to persist with Rohit also means that speculations will be put to rest throughout the IPL season, and India will have a clarity in their plan of action for the five-Test series against England. India last won a Test series in England in 2007 under Rahul Dravid’s leadership, and came closest to beat the side in its own den during the 2021/22 tour.
While India led the series 2-1 before the fifth Test was postponed due to Covid-19, Ben Stokes’ men eventually equalised the series next year.
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