Following India’s disheartening defeat to South Africa in the Boxing Day Test at Centurion, former Indian cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath raised pertinent questions about Rohit Sharma’s leadership capabilities. The defeat, marked by the failure of both the batting and bowling units, resulted in a humiliating innings and a 32-run loss for India.
Badrinath expressed his reservations about Rohit Sharma’s captaincy in Test cricket and suggested that Virat Kohli should resume leadership in the red-ball format. Pointing to Kohli’s exceptional record, Badrinath highlighted Kohli’s 5000-plus runs, 40 wins, and 17 losses in 68 Tests.
S Badrinath emphasized Kohli’s leadership during the historic Australia series victory and questioned why a supposedly weaker player is leading the team when Kohli, a superior Test batter, is available.
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“Why isn’t Virat Kohli the Test team captain? He’s a better Test batter than Rohit. Why is a weaker player leading instead of him? Although Rohit Sharma has been in and out, he’s a big player and has scored runs everywhere. But he hasn’t proven himself as an opener outside India. So, why is he there?” S Badrinath queried on his YouTube channel.
In the aftermath of the match, Rohit Sharma expressed disappointment in the pace bowling department. The captain remarked on the lack of support for Jasprit Bumrah, particularly in the middle overs, and criticized the team’s inability to contain the opposition’s run flow. Rohit acknowledged Prasidh Krishna’s inexperience in Test cricket and expects improvement.
With Prasidh Krishna’s position in jeopardy, Avesh Khan emerges as the likely replacement in the playing XI. Khan, having showcased his skills with a remarkable five-for against South Africa A, has been announced as Mohammed Shami’s replacement by the BCCI.
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On the batting front, Badrinath called for Rohit Sharma to elevate his performance and set an example for the team. Rohit’s meager contribution of five runs in the Boxing Day Test has led Badrinath to question Rohit’s place in the playing XI. In contrast, Virat Kohli emerged as the lone warrior in the second innings, scoring 76 runs before succumbing to Marco Jansen. The contrasting performances of the two key players have reignited the debate about India’s leadership and batting strategy heading into the next Test.
