A fan’s perspective as the India test cricket team goes through a transition phase
The Indian test cricket team is going through a phase of transition. We have lost three greats in a short period of time through retirements. Kohli was one of our best test captains ever and someone who made winning away tests in SENA a norm. Rohit was one of our best white ball captains with an enviable win-loss record in global events. And finally, Ashwin would probably rank as our biggest test match winner across all eras (that’s a topic for another debate) especially at home.
The case for retirements is always a tricky one. In India especially, more often than not people linger on longer than they should. That is a marked difference from how it is done in Australia where most often people ask ‘why?’ instead of ‘why not’ when people hang their boots- and that’s how it should be in my view.
This post is about celebrating the new dawn for the Indian test cricket team- and looking forward to the future.
To be honest- the start has not been bad. Drawing away to England 2-2 was beyond expectations- a young team with a young captain- taking on Bazball and not ceding till the end needed guts. The recent home series win that followed vs West Indies was expected. They are a far cry from the giants they were in the 80’s, but still there would have been some pessimism after the last home whitewash vs Newzealand- so it was good to win this one 2-0.
Let us look at the key protagonists in the team now and the architects of the recent highs.
Shubman Gill had a baptism by fire as he put on the captaincy cap- India’s last test series win in England was way back in 2007. While he has captained Gujarat Titans regularly in the IPL, test cricket is a completely different kettle of fish. I think Gill as a captain did well in England but experience will make him get even better. I would like to see him being more aggressive when the chips are down for one. Gill as a batsman has been A+ though- to have a 750+ run series in your first test series as a captain was superlative. To become the new #4 is not easy- that spot was pretty locked for the last 30+ years with Sachin and Kohl- but Gill has started with a bang. When you perform as a batsman, your job as a captain becomes easier- well done!
Yashasvi Jaiswal is the aggressor for us- he sets the tempo at the top of the innings. What is refreshing though is his appetite for ‘daddy hundreds’- something which makes him similar to Sehwag. He did get a couple of tons in England but I was expecting more from him. He sometimes gets dismissed in trying to go after the bowling- but that’s part of the deal with him. The 175 vs Windies was great- if not for the run out, he would have tried Sehwag’s 300 record for sure.
KL Rahul has been an enigma- to have such a good technique but still to average only just above 35 in red ball cricket- speaks of opportunity loss. It was good to see him get a 500+ run series in England. In the days of Bazball, I like his approach of blunting the new ball the old fashioned way- to make it easy for the middle order. The recent RoKo retirements have also made him the seniormost batsman in the team now- I hope he grabs the opportunity with both hands and really fulfils all the potential he has.
Rishabh Pant has been the X factor in our team for long in tests. To bat the way only he can and still get so many hundreds is mind boggling. In fact, if not for his ultra aggressive approach and getting out several time in the 90’s- he would have had many more tons by now. I am extremely glad though that here is an Indian player who cares a darn about statistics and keeps the game moving- may he continue with this refreshing approach in the days to come. The Pant run out in the Lord’s test was the turning point in that match and his injury was a big big blow. Rishabh has given us many sweet memories- with the Gabba win being my favourite and I really look forward to his return to test cricket.
Ravindra Jadeja is probably one of the most under-rated cricketers of our era- with a bowling average under 25 and a batting average nearing almost 40 now- he has one of the best career average difference in test cricket. The electric fielding is a bonus. He has become super reliable recently with the bat and the 500+ tally in the England series has almost become expected now- as are his sword celebrations after he reaches those milestones. The recent promotion to vice-captain seems a just reward for his consistent performances.
Jasprit Bumrah is easily India’s best ever bowler across formats. A test bowling average lower than 20 with 200+ wickets makes him one of the all-time greats too. I hope the thinktank manages his workload better and he is able to serve us for a long term in red ball cricket. I really struggle to fathom why he played some of the inconsequential Asia Cup matches but missed the all important 5th Test vs England. Gambhir and the thinktank also need to manage the dynamics of him probably aspiring to be the next test captain and then losing it to Gill.
Mohammed Siraj was my favourite story from the England series. A guy with 110% effort always with a smile on his face. His relentless effort on the last day of the series and winning that match for us when the chips were down was really the highlight. Especially how he redeemed himself after dropping the catch earlier. I hope he continues with the same passion always.
Washington Sundar has been another unsung hero for Team Blue- his lower order runs have been gold dust- in fact his cameo in the 5th test with the tail set us up for the win. And he has this habit of taking important wickets when trusted with the ball. He can be a like for like replacement for Ashwin in the days to come.
I really hope Kuldeep Yadav gets more opportunities going forward- a bowler like him takes the pitch out of the equation and can be a trump card. The Indian team prefers to pack the lower middle order with all-rounders but Kuldeep can do a better job in my view, especially if he works on his batting a bit more to balance the side. The Man of the Match performance in the Delhi test was good to see.
There are still a few open pieces to complete the jigsaw puzzle. A stable no.3 is needed- Sai Sudarshan and Karun Nair have recently got their chances but not made it their own. We should try out Sarfraz Khan in the middle order- he seems to have got a hard deal when it comes to selection. Shreyas Iyer seems to be another candidate yearning for a recall. Dhruv Jurel is athe back up keeper with a good batting record- India always wins when he is in the team.
A good medium pace allrounder can complete the team in SENA countries- Shardul is past his prime and Nitish Kumar still needs to prove himself but there are early bright sparks. And a good 3rd pacer will help complement Bumrah & Siraj- it will be wonderful if Shami can get over his injuries or else Prasidh/ Akashdeep need to be more consistent. It may be worthwhile to try Arshdeep too- a good left armer will balance the bowling line up well.
Not just the players, it has been a baptism by fire for Gautam Gambhir too. He is a man with a strong opinion and that is never easy in a country where everyone has an opinion. He has backed his instincts a lot and the path will become more easy for him going forward with the team stabilizing.
India has been playing gold standard test cricket for the last decade now- as we pass the baton, I hope that we keep raising the bar.
‘For men may come, and men may go. But I go on forever’.
Silly Point 