Rohit Sharma’s debut as India’s Test captain in South Africa didn’t go as planned. He fell to Kagiso Rabada in both innings at Centurion. In the first, a mistimed pull resulted in a catch at fine leg, exposing a vulnerability in a shot that typically brings him boundaries in white-ball cricket. In the second, Rabada exploited Rohit with a delivery that maintained its line after pitching around off stump. Rohit’s captaincy also faced criticism; during Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur’s expensive spells, he struggled to effectively manage his bowling resources, allowing South Africa to build a substantial first-innings total.
Adding to the challenges, India has suffered four consecutive Test losses in SENA countries. Subramaniam Badrinath, a former Indian cricketer, strongly criticized both Rohit Sharma’s batting and captaincy. The ex-right-hander argued that Virat Kohli, with a superior Test cricket batting record, should reassume captaincy duties in the red-ball format.
“Kohli has a great record as a test leader. He has scored more than 5000 runs with an average of 52 as a captain. He has 40 wins and 17 losses in 68 tests. He led us to a tremendous victory in the Australia series. He has the most wins as Test captain after Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh,” Subramaniam Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.
Virat Kohli’s captaincy in 68 Tests reflects an impressive record of 40 wins, 17 losses, and 11 draws, yielding a win percentage exceeding 58%. Notably, he guided India to a historic series victory in Australia and orchestrated memorable Test and series triumphs in England, South Africa, West Indies, and Sri Lanka.
As captain, Kohli compiled 5,608 runs in Tests at an average of 53.40, crafting 18 centuries and 18 fifties across 111 innings, with a highest score of 254*. His leadership propelled India to the pinnacle of Test cricket for consecutive years, solidifying their status as the number-one Test team.
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“Why is he (Virat) not the captain of the Test team? I want to raise this valid question. He is a better test batter. There is no comparison between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He is a big player in terms of Test cricket. He has scored runs everywhere. Why is he not leading and a weaker player? As far as I am concerned, a weaker player who is not yet proven as an opener. He has been in and out. We can consider all of that. But I think Rohit Sharma has not proven himself as an opener outside India. Why is he there?” Badrinath added.
Rohit Sharma boasts a commendable Test record, amassing 3,682 runs in 53 Tests at an average of 45.45, inclusive of 10 centuries and 16 fifties from 90 innings.
However, his performance in SENA nations (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia), historically challenging for India, is less stellar. Across 21 Tests in these countries, Rohit has accumulated 1,182 runs at an average of 30.30, featuring one century and six fifties in 42 innings.