Former Indian opening batter Aakash Chopra has warned about Rohit Sharma losing his Test captaincy, especially after losing the World Test Championship (WTC) final this year against Australia. Chopra pointed out that the opener's age remains a point of debate, with India having two five-Test series against England and Australia in the upcoming WTC cycle.
Rohit's tactics as captain, including bowling changes and field placements, came under scrutiny in the 209-run loss to Australia in the WTC final. The right-handed batter could not contribute with the bat either as per expectations and failed to convert a promising start in the second innings.
While the 45-year-old has no doubts about Rohit's potency as a batter and captain, he believes the future doesn't look very promising due to his age.
"Rohit is a good captain, there is no doubt about that. Rohit is a good Test batter, there is no doubt about that as well, but will the future remain like this only - I am not 100% certain because you have reached the final in the last two cycles but haven't won even once, and age is not on his side, this is the reality. When you see the next two years, and another WTC cycle - 2025, Rohit Sharma could still be playing Test cricket if he really wants to play Test cricket. Six series is a lot of time," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
"The focus now is on Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid like it was before on Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri" - Aakash Chopra
Chopra further claimed that the current management will be under heavy scrutiny over the coming months, adding:
"The next question is on the type of pitches they play at home. See, all these decisions are taken by the team management. I am sure Rohit Sharma would’ve been part of the think-tank when Virat Kohli was the captain. Now Kohli will also be part of that group too. However, the responsibility lies with the one who goes for the toss. The focus now is on Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid like it was before on Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri. This is the sad reality."
India's next WTC cycle will begin against the West Indies with a two-Test series next month.
