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Rahane blames loss of seniors for India’s Test decline
Ajinkya Rahane has blamed India's Test cricket struggles over the past two years on the rapid departure of senior players. Speaking on the 'Stick to Cricket' podcast, the former India vice-captain said…
The Story in Brief
Ajinkya Rahane has blamed India's Test cricket struggles over the past two years on the rapid departure of senior players. Speaking on the 'Stick to Cricket' podcast, the former India vice-captain said the longer format requires a core of seven to eight experienced cricketers to guide younger talent, but that senior players have left one by one since the 2023 WTC final loss. India suffered series whitewashes against New Zealand and South Africa, and a 1-4 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, leaving them fifth in the WTC standings.
With stars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin retired from Tests, only KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja remain from the batting core of the 2010s. The upcoming two-match Test series in Sri Lanka, starting August 15 at Galle, will feature a young squad led by Shubman Gill, with KL Rahul as vice-captain. Rahane said new players have come in over the last two years but that Test cricket needs senior cricketers to be respected.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that India's Test slide is purely a generational churn misses the real issue: a rushed, almost mechanical replacement of proven performers with untested talent. Fans see the BCCI treating Test cricket as a grooming ground for the ODI side, not a format that rewards patience and experience. The real test will be whether the new core, led by Shubman Gill, can survive a full WTC cycle without being dropped after two failures.
Sources (3): rediff.com, sports.ndtv.com, sports.ndtv.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
