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 wins over the mighty Aussies over the past decade, the tourists have fallen flat, exposing the vulnerabilities in a country long considered invincible.

The series highlighted clear problems – the Indian batsmen were struggling and jasprit boomra was the only player to trouble Australia.

The loss not only cost India the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but also denied them a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, 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 worrying – they have lost six of their last eight Tests, including a shock 0-3 home drubbing whitewashing against New Zealand.

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

With a team in transition and stalwarts fading, Indian Test cricket faces pressing challenges to maintain its legacy in a fast-paced environment.

India’s next red-ball challenge is a five-Test series in England starting in July. Conditions in England, known for dramatic changes even within a single session, will test players’ technique, skill and adaptability to the limit.

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

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

Sharma managed just 31 runs in three Tests in Australia, his poor form forcing him to sit out the final game. Kohli did a little better with 190 runs in nine innings, but 100 runs of his total came in one go. His dismissals followed a pattern – caught in the mistakes or behind the stumps – pointing to a glaring technical error or mental fatigue under pressure.

From January 2024 Sharma has only managed 619 runs in 16 Tests with a century. Kohli’s numbers have deteriorated over time – averaging 32 in Tests since 2020. only two centuries old.

Once a late blooming Test opener and lightning match winner, Sharma is now struggling to find his ideal batting position. Meanwhile, Kohli’s surreal decline – after a decade of dominance and dominance – has left cricket’s former titan in a prolonged slump.

From Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar to Kohli, the baton of Indian batting greatness has passed without a hitch. But a worthy successor to Kohli remains elusive.

KL Rahul has the class but lacks the hunger for consistent big scores. Rishabh Pant is an exciting individual, equally capable of winning or losing a match. Shubman Gill, touted as the next big thing, struggles overseas despite his undeniable pedigree and needs careful nurturing.

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.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Australia’s leading Test run-scorer in that series, was the best of the young batsmen. With panache, patience, technical assurance and explosive hitting, he looks set to succeed Kohli as the team’s talisman.

The talent pool in India is overflowing across departments. Jasprit Bumrah, with his 32 wickets against Australia, cemented his status as a fast bowling colossus. 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 him, as in the Australia series, risks breakdowns that could hamper the attack. Shami, after long stays 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 has shown promise on home turf, while young spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Tanush Kotian, who joined the team midway through the series in Australia, are knocking on the doors of Test cricket.

Tired of recent losses to New Zealand and Australia, the Indian cricket board is moving quickly to usher in the transition. The selectors were directed to pick potential Test players from the second round of the domestic Ranji Trophy, which resumed 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.

Managing a team in transition poses complex challenges that require patience, empathy and a clear vision. Knee-jerk reactions or external pressures could worsen the situation instead of providing solutions.

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

It is worth recalling that in 2011, after winning the ODI World Cup, India were beaten 4-0 in Test series against England and Australia. Cricket seems to have hit rock bottom.

But within months, a revival led by young talents like Kohli, Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Jadeja, Ashwin and others saw India rise to the top team in the world in all formats, holding that position for almost a decade.