Even as all the buzz is about Virat Kohli's 100th Test match, which begins on Friday against visiting Sri Lanka, it is also his successor Rohit Sharma's first series as red-ball captain. Having been made the skipper in all formats, Sharma, like his predecessor Kohli, is keen to ensure Team India remains a top Test-playing team.
Hosts India are currently ranked behind toppers Australia in the ICC Test rankings and have nine Test matches to get the desired results and ensure they reach the final of the World Test Championship again.
Speaking to the media on the eve of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka, Sharma said, "It has been an absolutely brilliant journey for him (Kohli) - a long one for sure. He has done exceedingly well in this format; changed so many things. The team moved forward under him. It has been hell of a ride for him. We want to make this Test match special for him.”
Sharma picked Kohli's 119 in Johannesburg in 2013 as one of his favourite Test hundreds, saying that "while the series in Australia in 2018 which India won was a fabulous one, the century in 2013 in South Africa is unforgettable. The pitch was challenging and there was a lot of bounce. Facing the likes of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Jacques Kallis was not easy. It was one of the best knocks of his career that I clearly remember."
On his own debut as Test skipper, Sharma said, "I am looking forward to just win games as much as possible and do right things with right players in the squad. As a Test team, we stand in very good position, if you look at last five years. Credit goes to Virat; what he did for the Test team was brilliant. For me, it is just taking it forward from where he left. We are somewhere midway in WTC table but we have not done anything wrong in last 2-3 years in Test cricket. We want to improve as a team in every game we play."
The hosts will have fresh blood coming in place of old warhorses like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will be looking to grab the opportunity if they get it. "Whenever there are changes, it’s always a fresh start for those guys coming in; it’s never easy. But the guys who will replace Pujara and Rahane, have done exceedingly well whenever they got opportunities. We need to just back these guys. They have been waiting for a while now. If they take the opportunity and turn things around - not just one or two games – they will be playing in the coming years for us."
With the experienced Ishant Sharma, too, not considered for the Test series, it is a team in transition. "It will be challenging. We do understand we are midway in the WTC table. From here on, every single match is going to be important. To come out on top in these situations, it’s important for us to be in the present; do what we can do in this Test and then worry about the rest of the Test matches."
Sharma, however, did not reveal his opening partner or the batting line-up. "Mayank, Shubman, Vihari, Iyer - all these guys are brilliant and future of cricket. They need to be given a solid run to excel in this format. Hopefully, our backing and support will help these guys." He also reiterated that Rahane and Pujara would be part of the team's plans.
Sharma also said his philosophy, as far as captaincy across formats was concerned, would remain the same. "Just stay in the present; understand the situation the team is in and make the right call. It’s a five-day match and things will change every day. So, a lot of analysis will go into it. It’s a different format. It will be a challenge since it’s the first time I am leading in red-ball cricket. I have led in few Ranji games but it’s different for India. I am looking forward to it."
