1 week Ago By Sandeep Sahu
An atrocious call at toss - something that captain Rohit Sharma readily owned up to after the disastrous first day’s play at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Bengaluru – may have cost India a Test against New Zealand. But there is much to take heart from with what followed after the ignominious 46 all out on the first morning. The rollicking, audacious and jaw-dropping 177-run partnership between Sarfaraz Khan, the new star on the horizon, and Rishabh Pant, the established star who is having a Second Coming of sorts, in the second innings convinced most Test cricket aficionados that Indian batting is in safe hands even as the countdown begins for the two champions – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – to walk into the sunset.
Rohit is already 37 and Virat 36. Though both of them are still champion batters, one cannot really see them continue much longer. Having already retired from the T20 format, it is only a matter of time before both call it a day in Test cricket too.
Next year’s England tour could well mark the end of their illustrious careers, though Virat looks fit enough to carry on for at least two more years. That tour will also coincide with the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which India looks all set to play for the third successive time - at Lord’s. Just as the victory in the ICC T20I championship trophy played in West Indies and USA triggered the retirement of Rohit and Virat from the shortest format, the WTC final could well be their swan song in the longest format, irrespective of whether India win or lose.
It goes without saying that the champion duo would leave a big void behind whenever they decide to call it a day. But with a host of highly talented batters waiting in the wings to take over from them, the prospect doesn’t look gloomy at all. If anything, it looks like we are in for some exciting times in the years ahead with Generation Next taking over from the stalwarts and carrying on the great Indian batting tradition.
Apart from Rishabh and Sarfaraz, there is also Subman Gill, who missed out in Bengaluru due to a stiff neck. Of course, one can argue that Sarfaraz is yet to be tested outside India. But equally, there is no reason to surmise that he would not succeed on foreign soil, especially in the fast and seam-friendly pitches in Australia, England and South Africa.
Champion batters find a way to score in all conditions and Sarfaraz’s unconventional methods, like Rishabh’s before him, could well succeed in SENA countries. While Rishabh announced his arrival in the international arena with a breathtaking 114 in only his third Test (the fifth and last of the series) against England in his very first series in 2018, Gill earned plaudits for his magnificent 91 in the second innings, which paved the way for India to conquer ‘Fortress Gabba’, in his very first series against Australia to seal the series 2-1 in India’s favour. For all one knows, Sarfaraz could do something similar during the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia.
Given their batting philosophy of always dominating bowlers irrespective of the conditions, batters like Rishabh and Sarfaraz may fail occasionally. But when they click, they could be real match winners. Doubts and apprehensions of the kind we have about the efficacy of the methods of Sarfaraz abroad now were once expressed about Virender Sehwag too.
And we all know how Viru silenced the doomsday prophets with his performance everywhere in the world. Rishabh has done the same in Australia, England and South Africa. It could be Sarfaraz’s turn now.
Gill, however, is a batter in more conventional mould and looks set to have a long career ahead of him. There are several others banging on the doors of the selection panel to break into the Test team, the most prominent among them being opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, B Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Then there are a few who are trying to make a comeback into the team like Shreyas Iyer.
But it looks like the Gill-Rishabh-Sarfaraz triumvirate is set to form the core of Indian Test batting in the coming years. There will never be a dull moment when these three bat. (DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece.
The views expressed are the author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.).
