"Capable handling of many changes to personnel and tough loss of the first Test shows his resilience"- Ian Chappell hails Rohit Sharma's captaincy
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has praised Rohit Sharma's leadership in fighting through defeat in the first Test and the loss of several star players in the ongoing India-England series.
After an impressive drawn series in South Africa, India suffered a shocking 28-run defeat in the first Test against England, leading to several questions about Rohit's captaincy.
The hosts have also been without star batter Virat Kohli throughout the series while KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah have been absent at different stages.
In his column for ESPNcricinfo, Chappell praised Rohit's underrated captaincy skills, writing:
"In the sudden shuffling of the Indian side after a prolonged period of selection stability, the leadership of Rohit Sharma is often overlooked. . His capable handling of the many changes to personnel and the tough loss of the first Test shows his resilience. He also produced a masterful century when the Indian team needed it, at the start of the third Test, to confirm he wasn't a ceremonial captain. Rohit has a pedigree of leadership success and his reputation helped him guide a fluid Indian line-up in the right direction."
"Any failure in his leadership could easily have led this Indian team to faltering when the going got tough. There is no doubt the elite skill of Bumrah and the talent of Jaiswal and the other inexperienced players India introduced to the team is helpful. However, it required the leadership guidance and the tactical nous of Rohit to ensure that a changing team retained belief in their cricket," he added.
Rohit boasts an impressive record as Test captain, with eight wins, four losses, and two draws in 14 games.
Under his astute leadership, Team India turned their fortunes around in the ongoing fourth Test after conceding a 46-run first-innings lead. The hosts bowled England out for a paltry 145 in their second innings to be on the heels of a memorable series win.
"Whatever the result, England have displayed their resilience under Stokes" - Ian Chappell
Ian Chappell felt irrespective of the series result, Ben Stokes deserves credit for instilling resilience in the English Test outfit.
After becoming permanent Test captain in mid-2022, Stokes has led England on a remarkable turnaround in the red-ball format, with the side yet to lose a series since.
"Whatever the result, England have displayed their resilience under Stokes and the ability to not fold like a tent after a debilitating loss. Part of the task for Stokes was convincing the batters - mainly Joe Root - to be more judicious if they must employ any "fancy" shots," wrote Chappell.
Barring a miraculous comeback in the ongoing fourth Test in Ranchi, England are starring down the barrel of suffering their first Test series defeat in the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum era.
Boasting a 2-1 series lead already, India are on course at 40/0 in their run-chase of 192 with two days remaining.