Under Rohit Sharma, India's recent Test results have been far from favourable, but will a lack of leadership options force him back into the role in England?
In a span of less than ten months, Indian cricket has found itself both celebrating and soul-searching. The trophy cabinet has grown heavier, with two ICC titles added in quick succession, a major relief for a team that had endured a long, long drought when it came to winning the big events. The white-ball revolution, built on fearless intent and tactical evolution, has finally borne fruit, breaking the jinx that had shadowed them for over a decade.
Yet, even as India scale new heights in limited-overs cricket, their red-ball legacy, once the cornerstone of their global reputation, has begun to quietly unravel. The clarity that defines their white-ball identity has not found a way in the Test arena consistently, where recent results suggest a team in disarray.
At the centre of this has been Rohit Sharma, the captain across formats. Under him, India look a team that has been reborn in limited-overs cricket, with Rohit himself redefining his role, becoming an early aggressor at the top of the order and setting the tone in the powerplay. It was a shift first noticed after the disappointment in the 2022 T20 World Cup, and refined wonderfully during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
However, as the white-ball version of Rohit has flourished, his Test credentials have steadily declined. Since a fifty against New Zealand in Bengaluru, Rohit has managed just 68 runs across his last five Tests, averaging 7.55. In Australia, he scraped together 31 runs across five innings before "opting out" of the final Test, a move that raised eyebrows, not just for the timing, but for what it signified.
This isn't just a rough patch, with critics increasingly pointing to age as a factor. Rohit, who turns 38 this month, has shown signs of slowing reflexes and unsure footwork, a major worry in a format that demands discipline and soliity. While his approach, which has served him well in ODIs and T20Is, has earned him accolades, it hasn't quite translated into success in Tests, where restraint and the ability to bat out sessions still reign.
India are also yet to win a Test under him in the last six attempts, first losing 0-3 to New Zealand - their first series defeat at home since 2012 - and then drawing a blank in Australia in the three games he led in. Overall, India have won just two away games with Rohit as captain in seven attempts, a win/loss ratio of 0.666. In the three years prior to him becoming the Test skipper, India won seven of 16 games away, giving them a win/loss ratio of 1.166. If not a major, it’s still been a considerable change.
Who is the next leader for India?
With a five-match Test series in England on the horizon, India are faced with an uncomfortable dilemma: Do they persist with the struggling Rohit? Whether his decision in the Sydney Test is framed as a “rest,” “dropped,” or “opted out,” the real question is whether he continues to be part of the red-ball conversation at all.
It’s not a straightforward answer, with the lack of immediate leadership options only complicating matters. India have played 10 bilateral Test series since Virat Kohli stepped down in early 2022, during which India have had four vice-captains - Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rishabh Pant. While Bumrah, who recently led in Australia in Rohit’s absence, stands out for his tactical acumen and composure, his workload remains a concern. Given how the Australia tour panned out for him, the Indian management should use him judiciously, and it is unlikely that he’ll be available for all five Tests in England.
KL Rahul, who led in South Africa when regular captain Kohli was injured for a game in 2021, has been moved away from leadership duties. His recent resurgence in the IPL this year, free from the weight of captaincy, suggests he may be better suited as a pure batter. Rahane’s reappearance in the leadership conversation was sudden in 2023 as India gave him the vice-captaincy duties in his first bilateral series after being out of the side for 18 months. Pant, despite being the vice-captain during the Edgbaston Test in 2022, hasn’t been considered a leadership option of late, with doubts about the added burden potentially hampering his free-flowing character, both as batter and wicketkeeper.
Shubman Gill, who recently replaced Hardik Pandya as vice-captain in the Champions Trophy squad, is being viewed as a long-term contender. But Test cricket is a different beast, and Gill has never held the role in the format. Handing him the duties in England, against a seasoned opposition in challenging conditions, would be a leap of faith.
Kohli, with all his experience, is unlikely to reassume leadership, despite managing the team when Bumrah was out of the field in the fifth Australia Test. It leaves them without a proper roadmap or a plan in place. Will that force the BCCI to stick to the tested, giving Rohit another chance to lead in England despite the recent results under him?
For most of the 21st century, India had a defined leadership structure, with a prominent vice-captain. Whether it was Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, or eventually Rohit, the players assuming the role hinted at the team’s succession plan. That foresight is currently missing, with the absence of a steady deputy leading to short-term appointments and reactive decisions.
With no obvious successor ready to take over, finding an alternative to Rohit remains a complicated task. The demanding nature of an overseas five-Test series makes it even harder for the selectors to entrust the job to a young player who lacks leadership experience at the highest level. Continuing with a captain who has not been at his best in the format, both as a leader and a batter, is far from ideal. However, given the current circumstances, it appears to be the more pragmatic route.
Naming Rohit as captain for England is a decision that will likely be made out of necessity rather than conviction. But to avoid finding themselves in a similar situation again, this series must also be used to lay the groundwork for the future. The new vice-captain should be gradually exposed to high-pressure scenarios, given a more active voice in decision-making, and integrated into the leadership framework. The baton must be passed organically, so that the transition is smooth and without controversy. Who that player will be, though, remains the biggest mystery.
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