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With Rohit and Kohli retired, Team India enters a new Test era led by Shubman Gill. The young batting line-up faces a tough test against England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style in the high-stakes five-match series starting June 20 at Headingley.
Team India will usher in the era of Test cricket after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli when the Shubman Gill-led side faces England in the upcoming five-match Test series, starting on Friday, June 20. The much-anticipated high-stakes battle between England and India will start at Headingley in Leeds.
Before the squad announcement for the England Test tour, Team India was already grappling with the speculation on the availability of senior players and the eventual confirmation of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stepping away from red-ball cricket, marking the beginning of the transition phase. Before Rohit and Kohli retired from Test cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin called it quits from international cricket midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December last year.
The absence of two experienced batters raises a question - Whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be missed against a determined England side in the Test series?
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Experience and leadership factor
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have not just been stalwarts of Indian cricket, especially in Tests, but also a pillar of the batting line-up for over a decade. The pair took the team through a golden era with their leadership and consistent performances, often anchoring the innings while mentoring and guiding younger players through pressure situations.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli boast 190 matches and nearly 14,000 runs in the Tests between the two Indian batting stalwarts, underlining their massive pool of experience and match-winning ability that India will sorely miss in challenging overseas conditions in England. Kohli enjoyed more Test success in England compared to Rohit, amassing 1096 runs, including 2 centuries and 5 fifties, at an average of 33.21 in 17 matches.
However, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also brought a sense of calm and authority to the dressing, often absorbing pressure in hostile conditions, especially in England. The two have always been reliable batters for Team India over a decade in challenging situations, ability to weather storms early, build partnerships, and guide the team out of trouble, which will be difficult to replicate in the initial phase of transition, especially for relatively young batters embarking on the England tour.
Virat Kohli’s fire and Rohit Sharma’s calmness
Their presence is the team was not just about the numbers, but also the aura, composure under pressure, and instilling the belief in the players. Virat Kohli is known for his fire and intensity that he brings to the field, inspiring his teammates with his passion and never-say-die attitude.
Kohli’s ability to instill aggression in the minds of the players played a pivotal role in Team India’s success overseas, which can be evidenced by their maiden Test series win in Australia in 2019 and the 2021/22 England Test series. Even after stepping down from the captaincy duties across all formats of the game in 2022, Kohli remained a driving force in the dressing room, often seen motivating the younger players and leading by example with his performances in crucial matches.
Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, brought a sense of tranquility and tactical acumen to the side, especially taking over Test captaincy. His ability to stay under pressure, read game situations shrewdly, and back his bowlers with well-thought-out field placements proved invaluable, particularly in high-pressure series.
Rohit Sharma might have enjoyed as much success as Virat Kohli as Test captain overseas, except for a rare series draw against South Africa, but his tactical nous and stability at the top order played a pivotal role in further shaping a competitive India Test unit, which was laid out by Virat Kohli, who redefined India’s approach in Test cricket with relentless emphasis on fast bowling, fitness, and an aggressive mindset that made Team India as one of the formidable force in Test cricket.
Will Rohit and Kohli’s absence hurt India’s batting in England?
Team India's batting is going through a transition phase with young players taking over the mantle from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Will the absence of two Indian cricket stalwarts hurt the team’s batting against England?
Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott stated that Virat Kohli will be missed more than Rohit Sharma in terms of Test record, adding that their absence of the duo will ‘hurt’ India’s chances of beating England.
“The retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hurts the chances of India beating England. Kohli is the biggest loss as he has been their best batsman and talisman in all three formats," Boycott wrote in his column for The Daily Telegraph.
“Rohit was a superb batsman. At his best, a beautiful stroke player, but he won't be missed as much as Kohli, because his Test record was good rather than exceptional. In the last couple of years, his batting was a little inconsistent, which was not surprising in his late 30s,” he added.
England’s Bazball advantage at home
Under the captain-coach duo of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum redefined the approach in Test cricket was redefined with their ultra-aggressive batting, which is called ‘Bazball’, a term coined by the media, India’s relatively young squad will face their toughest challenge yet.
The likes of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj have already experienced the intensity of playing against England in England, while Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, and Arshdeep Singh will be entering uncharted territory, probably making their debut in English conditions. Nair, Sudharsan, and Arshdeep have experience of playing in English conditions, thanks to their stints in the County Championship.
The ‘Bazball’ approach, characterized by a fearless approach, rapid scoring, and a positive mindset irrespective of the match situation, will test the temperament, technique, and mental fortitude of the batting line-up without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
As Kohli and Rohit step away from the longest format of the game, Team India enters an era where resilience, composure, and responsibility must now emerge from a new generation of batters and write the chapter of India’s Test legacy in the storm of England’s Bazball cricket.
