India’s Test team has experienced remarkable success in recent years, both at home and on overseas tours. However, their inability to win two consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) finals has drawn criticism and raised questions about the team’s ability to perform in crucial moments. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has joined the chorus calling for greater accountability within the team, particularly for the captains and coaches.
While India’s consistency in reaching two consecutive WTC finals is commendable, the inability to convert those strong performances into victories has been a concern. Despite notable series wins in Australia, England, and South Africa, the team has faltered on the grandest stage. Failures in ICC knockout matches have further intensified calls for players and team management to be held to higher performance standards in crucial encounters.
Gavaskar expressed his views on the security that modern Indian captains seem to enjoy, highlighting the need for greater scrutiny and accountability. He pointed out that the captaincy issue has persisted since 2011, citing instances where India suffered heavy defeats in overseas tours, but the captain remained unchanged. This criticism could be directed towards MS Dhoni, who captained India during the disastrous tours of England and Australia in the 2011/12 season. Despite leading India to a World Cup triumph earlier in the year, the Test team struggled and was comprehensively beaten by their hosts.
“Whether you win or lose, the captain knows that he is going to be there. This has not been a recent case, mind you. This has been happening since 2011. There have been results where we have been wiped out in the series 0-4, 0-4 but the captain hasn’t changed,” said the former India captain during the IE Idea Exchange.
Dhoni continued as the captain until 2014, when Virat Kohli took over during the tour of Australia. Under Kohli’s leadership, India achieved significant victories in Australia and England and enjoyed a dominant domestic record. However, he was replaced by Rohit Sharma during the 2021/22 series in South Africa. While Rohit guided the team to another WTC final, his tactics and leadership were questioned following a lackluster performance against Australia in the final.
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The debate surrounding India’s decision to have a single captain for all formats has also gained traction. Unlike most other countries, India entrusts the captaincy across formats to one individual, potentially adding to the burden and challenges faced by the captain. The notion of appointing different captains for different formats has been suggested as a means to ease the load and tailor leadership to the specific requirements of each format.
Rohit Sharma, currently leading the team, has begun his captaincy journey with a fresh-faced squad in the West Indies, showing promising signs with his century alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in Dominica. Following important white-ball competitions like the Asia Cup and World Cup, Rohit’s first major overseas assignment as captain will be the tour of South Africa in December. With the previous tour missed due to injury, leading India to their first-ever Test series victory in South Africa would be a significant redemption for him.
