Why Test cricket in India is in trouble

Indian cricket fans are still reeling from the team’s crushing 1-3 defeat in the five-match Test series against Australia.

Once dominant in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with historic victories over the mighty Aussies over the past decade, the tourists fell apart, exposing vulnerabilities in a side long considered invincible.

The series covered glaring issues – Indian battles were fought, and jasprit boomrah was the only player to cause trouble in Australia.

The defeat not only cost India the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but also denied them a place in the final of the World Test Cup (WTC), ending their streak of back-to-back appearances in 2021 and 2023, where they lost to New Zealand and Australia respectively.

India’s recent form has been a cause for concern as they have lost six of their last eight Tests, including a shock 0-3 defeat at home whitewashed against New Zealand.

The defeats raised questions about the squad’s depth, the future of key players such as captain Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli, and their ability to recover.

With a team in transition and stalwart leaders on the wane, Indian Test cricket faces pressing challenges to preserve its legacy in a rapidly evolving landscape.

India’s next challenge with the red ball is the five-Test series in England starting in July. England’s conditions, known for swings even within a session, will test players’ technique, skill and ability to the limit.

India have not won a series in England since 2007, with only two previous victories (1971, 1986), suggesting a tough task ahead. Adding to the pressure, recent setbacks against New Zealand and Australia have the selectors grappling with tough decisions on player selection and team combinations for this crucial campaign.

The biggest headache for the selectors is the form of strong Charms and Kohli after dismal matches in Australia and earlier against New Zealand.

Sharma managed just 31 runs in the three Tests in Australia and his poor form saw him sit out the final game. Kohli fared slightly better with 190 runs in nine innings, but 100 runs of his total came in one knock. His dismissals followed a pattern – caught at slips or behind the stumps – indicating an obvious technical flaw or mental fatigue under pressure.

Since January 2024, Sharma has managed just 619 runs in 16 Tests with one century. Kohli’s numbers have deteriorated over time, averaging 32 in Tests since 2020 with just two centuries.

Sharma, once a late opener in Tests and a prolific match winner, is now struggling to find his ideal batting position. Meanwhile, Kohli’s surreal decline – after a decade of dominance and swagger – has seen the former titan of cricket in a prolonged slump.

From Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli, the baton of Indian batting greatness has passed seamlessly. But a worthy successor to Kohli remains elusive.

K. L. Rahul has class but lacks the will to consistently score big. Rishabh Pant is an exciting all-rounder who is equally capable of winning or losing a match. Touted as the next big thing, Shubman Gill has struggled overseas despite ​​​​his undisputed pedigree and requires careful grooming.

Punjab’s young left-hander Abhishek Sharma, mentored by Yuvraj Singh, is highly rated while Nitish Kumar Reddy impressed on his Australian debut with his fearless performances in difficult situations.

Yashaswi Jaiswal, India’s leading Test run-scorer in Australia in this series, has been a standout among the young batsmen. With his swing, patience, technical assurance and explosive batting, he looks set to succeed Kohli as the team’s talisman.

The Indian talent pool is overflowing in all departments. Jasprit Bumrah’s 32-wicket haul in the match against Australia cemented his status as a colossus of fast bowling. Backed by Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and a dozen promising quicks, India boast a formidable pace arsenal across all formats.

However, Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation talent and needs careful workload management. Overloading it, as in the Australian series, risks breakdowns that can hinder the attack. Shami, after a long stint in rehab, also requires careful handling. Together, they form one of the most formidable pace pairs in modern cricket.

With Ravichandran Ashwin’s sudden retirement and Ravindra Jadeja’s lukewarm performance in Australia, India’s spin depth looks thin. However, Washington Sundar shows promise on home grounds while young spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Tanush Kotian, who joined the team midway through the series in Australia, are knocking on the door of Test cricket.

Frustrated by recent losses in New Zealand and Australia, the Indian cricket board is moving rapidly towards the start of the transition. The selectors have been tasked with shortlisting potential Test players from the second round of the domestic Ranji Trophy, which resumes on January 23.

All the players, including Sharma and Kohli, are likely to be asked to play domestic cricket, a move that could help them regain their form.

Leading a team in transition creates complex challenges that require patience, empathy and a clear vision. Knee-jerk reactions or external pressures can exacerbate the situation instead of providing solutions.

Whether Sharma and Kohli can overcome their crisis remains to be seen, but India’s wealth of talent should dispel the current gloom surrounding Indian cricket.

It may be recalled that in 2011, after winning the ODI World Cup, India were whitewashed 4-0 in the Test series against England and Australia. Cricket seemed to have hit rock bottom.

But within months, a resurgence led by young talents like Kohli, Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Jadeja, Ashwin and others saw India rise to become the best team in the world across formats, holding this position for almost ten years.