

Youth or experience? Old formulas or out-of-the-box ideas? Play it safe or gamble high risk? What are the best tactical plans that Indian cricket strategists need to put in place in terms of personnel as we head into the new year?
Unless you’re an extremist, you’d likely say the best strategy is a healthy mix of all of the above. But let’s face it, that’s the safe answer. Taking a middle position when it comes to deciding how a team in transition will be directed isn’t the easiest thing. When you don’t go one way or the other, there can be confusion and mixed signals, and a lot can get lost in translation.
Any cricketer worth his salt also knows that you can’t adopt the ostrich formula – you have to be prepared to embrace change. See how seniors like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami and others are taking the young guns under their wings, and also don’t fail to notice the confidence the youngsters are exuding these days, thanks to the support they are receiving from the powers that be – both on and off the field.
Safe change
There was a time when fans would break out in a cold sweat when they thought about what would happen once Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev or Sachin Tendulkar retired. Today, a team could be without Virat, Rohit or Shami, and no one would bat an eyelid. In the five-match home series with England earlier this year, there was neither Virat nor Shami, and India had as many as five Test debutants: Sarfaraz Khan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Gurel, Akash Deb and Rajat Patidar. The 22-year-old Jaiswal was the standout performer of the series, thanks to his massive tally of 712 runs, as he became the second Indian batsman ever to score more than 700 runs in a Test series after the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. India won the series 4-1.
The change currently unfolding in Indian Test cricket seems almost safe. The youngsters are playing very promising cricket, both home and away (although more consistency is needed in away Tests). Indian cricket is going through an unprecedented phase where the batting and bowling supply lines are incredibly healthy. You need look no further than the four players currently playing for Australia – Yashavi Jaiswal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana – to understand that. Don’t focus on individual scorecards but on the big picture of the impact youngsters are making in Indian Test cricket. After all, the team is being built for at least the next five to ten years, and the top-flight arena is bringing out some amazing talent.
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The youth promotion model is successful and needs to be strengthened. In Gautam Gambhir, BCCI has the kind of coach who is not afraid of backlash or attack as long as the long-term plan for the future is on track. The big question here is: How much support does he have from the board of directors? It’s not just about rebuilding, India needs to start winning big series under his leadership. Perhaps the home loss to New Zealand cannot be forgotten unless they win this time in Australia. This coupled with the WTC qualification could have a major impact on Gambhir’s performance evaluation.
India should not fear change now. Almost a decade ago, we witnessed a major shift in Indian cricket when MS Dhoni handed over the Test captaincy baton to Virat Kohli. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, the team reached the top spot in the Test rankings, but there came a time when they lost 15 out of 23 ODIs. Dhoni himself decided to step down as Test captain in the middle of a Test series in Australia. The next chapter saw ‘fighting fire with fire’ become the new Team India motto. New blood was infused and Indian Test cricket evolved as the team became a real force to be reckoned with in the longest format, winning 16 away Tests. Kohli overtook Dhoni as India’s most successful Test captain and also became the most successful Asian captain in SENA countries (seven Test wins).
The curtains are down in the afternoon
We stand on the cusp of another tectonic shift in Indian Test cricket today. The team has moved on from Test veterans like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha. Ashwin also brought down the curtain on his professional career. The likes of Yashasvi, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Siraj have been integrated effectively into the Test system. Gurel, Washington Sundar, Rana and Nitish Reddy are likely to follow suit. This leaves the likes of Virat, Rohit, Shami and Jadeja the only ‘big boys’.
For Virat and Rohit in particular, time is running out. Legacy and star status still goes a long way, of course, but with the kind of talent knocking on the door and with ‘development’ becoming a keyword, these two heroes will have to start performing consistently if they want to continue playing Test cricket. In 24 Test innings this year (even after the Brisbane Test against Australia), Rohit has scored a total of 607 runs, at an average of 26.39, with two centuries and two half-centuries. In the same period, Virat played 17 Test innings, scoring 376 runs, at an average of 25.06, with one century. His career batting average in Tests is at an eight-year low (47.49). Unless they go absolutely ballistic in the remaining two Tests in Australia, will we see them on the plane to the UK to tour England next year?
It would be fair to say that the jury is out on this one. It was no surprise to see these two icons retired from T20Is after India won the last edition of the T20 World Cup. They came out on a high. Winning another Test series in Australia this time could be their best chance to bring down the curtain on their Test careers as well, even though this is arguably the toughest format a cricketer can say. The management knows very well, just like every cricket fan in the world, that Jasprit Bumrah is all set to take over as Test captain. Shami still has to prove his fitness and will of course be given more opportunities, but with the likes of Rana, Deb and Prasidh Krishna appearing in the team sheet more regularly, the competition in the fast bowling arena is also heating up higher. Because of his all-round abilities, including his fielding intelligence, Jadeja may be able to last longer than others. But again, with the likes of Axar Patel, Tanush Kotian (who replaced Ashwin in the India squad) and Tilak Verma, he will also feel the tension.
It’s a cliche, yes, but change is truly the only constant. No one knows that better than an athlete.
(The author is a former sports editor and prime-time sports news anchor. He is currently a columnist, writer, and theater actor)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author