Ajinkya Rahane has been in a poor run of form in the last couple of years. Apart from scoring a fine hundred at Melbourne in 2020, Rahane averages a sorry 25 innings across 38 innings. He is struggling in English conditions. Rahane has registered scores of 5 and 1 in two innings. The writing is on the wall for Rahane. He is likely to be dropped for the next Test. It opens up a slot not just for a middle-order batsman but also for vice-captaincy. Lets have a look at Who Will Replace Rahane As India’s Test Vice-Captain
Who Will Replace Rahane As India’s Test Vice-Captain
#3 KL Rahul
KL Rahul’s Test career has changed dramatically over the course of the 2 Tests in England. Rahul wasn’t even in the reckoning to start the Test series. But unfortunate injuries to Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal opened up the path for Rahul. He was under immense pressure to deliver. To make matters worse the conditions in England are far from suitable for opening. But he weathered the storm beautifully across all 3 innings.
Rahul looks in complete control with his 2.0 avatar. His century in Lords in the first innings is one of the best knocks by an Indian opener in recent times. Rahul looks set to don the new role in the future too. He is a calm cricketer who fits the bill of a vice-captain nicely. The experience of leading an IPL side will help Rahul. With an eye for the future, India may look at grooming Rahul as the next Test captain.
#2 Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant has changed his fortunes in a span of 3 months. He was the chief architect in India’s famous wins in Brisbane and Ahmedabad. Pant almost won India the game in Sydney. Since then he has gone on to be India’s undisputed wicketkeeper across formats. The oppositions are always worried about the damage that Pant could affect. He has earned a reputation for being a match-winner. Pant’s credentials received a boost when Delhi Capitals nominated him captain in Shreyas Iyer’s absence. To his credit, Pant looked impressive with his captaincy. He might be a long-term India captaincy candidate. His elevation as India’s vice-captain won’t come as a surprise.
#1 Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma has taken his game to the next level. He has easily been India’s number 1 batsman since 2019. The moment Sharma took over the role of opening in Test cricket, his Test career has received a major boost. Sharma was the standout batsman in India’s series wins over South Africa and England. He played a key role in Sydney, Brisbane, and Trent Bridge. Sharma’s knock of 83 at Lords is the best Test innings as he put on a great show in challenging conditions. He is already India’s white-ball vice-captain. Sharma is the natural choice for Test vice-captaincy too at this point in time.
