The selection department has begun its first round of deliberations as the clock is ticking; a little over a month remains for the Indian cricket team to embark on a five-match Test series in England starting from June 20. After a pretty unsuccessful last cycle of the World Test Championship for India, with defeats at home and in Australia, the selectors find themselves in a really difficult situation. This new cycle, however, remains an opportunity for the team to start afresh, but a lot of questions have to be addressed.
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A huge matter of debate is the future of senior men like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have recently drawn a little criticism due to their below-par performances in Test cricket. The selectors also need to dwell on the leadership for the times ahead. Rohit is more or less assured of continuing as the Test captain, but questions arise over Bumrah, the vice-captain, time may see him lose that role owing to the injury troubles ongoing. Shubman Gill, the vice-captain for ODI and T20I at the moment, looks to be the top contender for that role in due course. Rishabh Pant is also in contention for future leadership.
In Australia, Rohit missed the first Test for personal reasons, with Bumrah assuming the captaincy responsibilities with a resounding victory. He then returned for the second Test but, after struggling with the bat, chose to rest himself for the final Test, which Bumrah captained before getting injured to rule him out for almost three months.
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“It is being said that a certain senior player wanted to take back the captaincy, but that idea was rejected by the management since they wanted the team to remain steady instead of undergoing trial changes for such a crucial series. A new WTC cycle is about to commence, and considerations for the future and stability of the team must be made. Coach Gautam Gambhir will want to work with a stable lot of players for some time,” said a source. “The last two Test series have not gone well for us, and the series in England is very important.”
On June 20, the first Test in England begins in Leeds.
