A new chapter begins: Under new captain, India bid to end 18-year wait for a Test series win in England

Time of India

4 hours ago

Ladies and gentlemen, be reasonable and temper your expectations. The
Indian cricket team
taking on England in the five-Test series starting today is far from what you've been used to watching and cheering over the past decade or so.
This time, there are no mega-stars around whom the whole planetary system used to revolve. There are no mountains of runs and records to boast of in their batting unit. The bowling department is as dependent on a maverick as a flock of sheep on the Border Collie for guidance.
When
Shubman Gill
, all of 25 years old and making his captaincy debut, leads his men out of the dressing room at the Headingley cricket ground in Leeds this morning, it will not just be the start of a new Test series or a new World Test Championship cycle, but of a new era in Indian cricket, one that is unlike any other in their Test-match history in a long, long time. Winning in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) has always been the toughest challenge for India. And Gill, India's 37th Test captain, has been thrown in the deepest end by asking him to lead India in England without any prior experience of captaining the national team, in any format. No soft launch or ease into the job with a home series against a low-ranked team; straight up shipped to a country where they have not won a Test series in 18 years.
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The last time a new captain –
Mohammed Azharuddin
in 1989-90 vs New Zealand – was asked to lead the Test team in a SENA country was so long ago that 16 out of this 17-player squad were not even born. Even their head coach, Gautam Gambhir, had not started playing hard-ball cricket.
On top of that, Gill has his own batting to look after. After being pushed down to No. 3 by swashbuckling
Yashasvi Jaiswal
, he will now have to adapt to a new batting position at No. 4, a spot left vacant by Virat Kohli's Test retirement. Besides, there are doubts over his ability to log big scores outside Asian conditions. But a batsman of his talent is expected to erase such doubts, raise his game to lay down a marker and earn the respect of his peers.
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He has at his disposal a bunch which may look slightly short on experience but not talent. KL Rahul, the most experienced batsman in the side, seems to be coming out of his shell and becoming a more authoritative player just at the right time for India and captain Gill. Pant, now vice-captain, faces the challenge of regaining his diminishing aura. And what better place to do that than England where it all started in 2018. Karun Nair, back in the side after eight years on the back of a splendid domestic season, will want to make up for lost time. Highly talented
Sai Sudharsan
looks like a player made for the big stage.
In bowling, Jasprit Bumrah, having unburdened himself of captaincy aspirations and understood the needs of his brittle body, has created a lot of space in his mind to focus on the job he is great at – dismissing batsmen. But in the absence of Mohammed Shami, his support cast will need to step up and help him in taking 20 opposition wickets.
After three retirements in space of one overseas tour, India were forced into a transition. It will take time for the new bunch to produce results. So, during the course of the five Tests, if the team doesn't appear to be up to the mark for the challenge of playing Test cricket in England, do not write them off. Just be patient.