Cricket News

‘You have to give them favorable conditions’ – Rohit Sharma opines on star India batters’ Test career

On Wednesday, the Indian Cricket team captain Rohit Sharma stated that seasoned players Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s Test careers would come to an end, implying a shift in focus towards giving younger players more opportunities. Despite the debate over whether Pujara or Rahane should be included in the Test team against England, the current selection panel, helmed by Ajit Agarkar, appears keen not to linger on the past.

With the former India captain Virat Kohli opting out for the first two Test matches due to personal reasons, the door appeared to be open for experienced players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, instead India named Rajat Patidar as Virat Kohli’s replacement. Rajat Patidar has performed well in domestic cricket, In 2015 Rajat Patidar has played 55 matches and almost scored 4000 runs and has 12 centuries with an average of 45.

Rohit Sharma stated that: “Look, actually, we did think about it (going back to a senior player). But all these younger players, when are they going to get their opportunity? That’s something we thought, I thought as well. Leaving out an experienced player or not considering them is very hard. The amount of runs they’ve scored, the kind of experience they’ve had, the number of games they have won for us, you know, it’s very hard to ignore all of that.”

Rohit Sharma clarified the decision to bring in Patidar, emphasising the challenge of benching established players. Rahane’s last appearance for India was against the West Indies in mid-2023, while Pujara was dropped after the World Test Championship final against Australia at the Oval last year. The strategic decision to bring new talented players matches with the team’s philosophy, indicating a likely period of transition and a shift away from relying primarily on the seasoned combination in Test cricket.

It’s important to give these youngsters an opportunity

Rohit went on to say: “But, you know, you sometimes have to bring certain players into your set-up as well. You have to give them favourable conditions as you don’t want to expose them on foreign doors, where they’ve not played before. So, I think it’s important that we try and get some of these youngsters an opportunity.”

It is clear that the age of the experienced players, including Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, has a significant impact on their decision-making. The realization that the veterans are nearing the end of their Test careers implies a reflection on the team’s progress, implying a strategic adjustment in player selection for the team’s future ambitions.