As India steps into a new World Test Championship cycle, it marks an uncharted era — one without the three stalwarts who have defined its red-ball identity for over a decade: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin.
This isn’t just the absence of big names as India start their assignment in England with the first Test in Headingley in a few hours.
It is a rupture in continuity. Since August 2011 — and certainly since KL Rahul’s debut in 2014 — at least one of the trio has featured in every single Indian Test. That streak ends.
There is no gentle handover. At the helm is 25-year-old Shubman Gill, whose appointment as Test captain polarised opinion. Undoubtedly, a gifted white-ball ball, Gill is still finding his feet in the longest format, Gill has been thrust into the most demanding role in cricket — and with it, the responsibility of restoring India’s red-ball stature.
“In my entire career so far, I’ve never walked into a team environment where neither Virat nor Rohit is present,” KL Rahul told a certain section of the media.
Gill’s elevation signals a bold shift in the mindset of the selectors and team management. Eleven years ago, Virat Kohli, oozing youth and bravado, took over mid-series after MS Dhoni’s retirement.
In comparison, Gill has had a bit of breathing space to take on the job.
He isn’t shying away from the moment. Gill has openly declared that Test captaincy is “the highest honour for a cricketer.” More tellingly, he’s set his sights high: to be “the best batter in the series.” It’s an audacious goal, particularly given his modest record in overseas conditions — but self-belief, as history proves, often separates the good from the great.
This series isn’t just about Gill. It’s also a defining trial for head coach Gautam Gambhir. After consecutive series defeats — at home to New Zealand and away in Australia — Gambhir finds himself under growing pressure. England away offers no respite, and the leash from BCCI bosses is unlikely to be long.
Together, Gill and Gambhir are tasked with rebuilding a side still packed with promise but low on Test experience. KL Rahul is the most capped batter in the squad with 58 Tests. Yet, the squad is brimming with India hopefuls who have gone through the whole haul of first-class cricket and ‘A’ team exposures that have made them battle-hardened for the ultimate Test cricket examination. Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Arshdeep Singh have CVs that most international sides would envy. Add to the mix the experienced Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur. These are signs that India’s well of talent is not dry.
India has the tools to rattle England. But Test cricket in England is an entirely different beast. And no beast has evolved more ruthlessly in recent years than England under the Bazball regime. Since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took charge, England have rewritten the script — ultra-aggressive batting, fearless chasing, and a style of play that has bulldozed opponents at home.
India experienced the Bazball onslaught first-hand in 2022 and were outplayed. And yet, this is not an invincible English side. They, too, are entering a post-legacy phase, with legends James Anderson and Stuart Broad no longer in the picture. Injuries have further depleted their ranks — Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are sidelined — leaving Chris Woakes to lead an inexperienced attack featuring Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse, who have only eight Tests between them. Lead spinner Shoaib Bashir is still early in his journey, with just 16 appearances. Even captain Stokes, returning from injury, may have to take on more with the ball.
Whether it’s the fearlessness of youth, or the unpredictability of transition, what lies ahead is a five-Test gauntlet that will reveal far more than just a scoreline.
Can Gill lead like Kohli did? The answers begin at Leeds.
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