‘Respect senior players': Rahane reflects on Team India's poor Test performance over last two years

LONDON: Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast following his retirement from international cricket, former India middle-order batter Ajinkya Rahane has provided a candid assessment of Team India’s recent Test struggles over the past two years. The former vice-captain emphasized that the transition of red-ball cricket requires a careful balance, cautioning that the simultaneous exit of several experienced stalwarts has disrupted the side's stability.

The Mass Exit of Red-Ball Legends

Since falling short in the 2023 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, the Indian Test side has undergone a dramatic phase of player movement. Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were phase-outs following that final, and over the past two years, mainstay legends including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin stepped away from Test cricket.

This major shift coincided with a difficult stretch for Team India, which included a home series defeat to New Zealand in late 2024, a 1-4 Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss in Australia, and a historic 0-2 home series sweep against South Africa.

With former leaders retiring from red-ball duty—leaving Rohit and Virat focused solely on ODIs—the current Test squad features few remaining experienced figures from the previous decade, with KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja standing as the primary veteran voices.

"All the Senior Players Going at Once Has Been the Issue"

Reflecting on the recent shifts within the squad structure, Rahane highlighted that young talent must be integrated alongside an established veteran core rather than replacing it wholesale.

"Test cricket fans are proper cricket lovers. New players have come in over the last two years in Tests. I still feel Test cricket needs seven to eight senior cricketers and two to three younger players. But what we are seeing now is that all the players are actually new," Rahane said.

"There are hardly any senior players left. Test cricket needs them. You need to respect the senior players. All the senior players going at once has been the issue," he added.

Looking Ahead: The Sri Lanka Challenge

Now led by captain Shubman Gill alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, India's core is navigating a vital rebuilding phase. Currently sitting fifth in the WTC standings, India face an uphill task to secure a spot in the final, with upcoming away tours to Sri Lanka and New Zealand alongside a home series against Australia.

The team's immediate focus turns to their upcoming two-match Test series in Sri Lanka, which kicks off on August 15 in Galle before moving to Colombo for the second Test on August 23.

India's squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka is: Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi. *Subject to fitness clearance. (ANI)