As expected

New Delhi, February 19

Rohit Sharma was today appointed the captain of the Indian Test cricket team as the selectors initiated the transition process by dropping struggling veterans Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha and Ishant Sharma for the series against Sri Lanka.

Chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma today made it clear that “Rohit was the unanimous choice” and will be the bridge between the new and old in the current set-up, while three potential captaincy candidates – KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant – are groomed. All three have led or been vice-captain at some point.

The Sri Lanka Test series, starting March 4, will also mark the comeback of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who has recovered from a knee injury. Shubman Gill too has recovered from a shin stress fracture.

Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar has made his maiden entry into the Test squad. Kuldeep Yadav, dumped by Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri, has been brought back into the Test team. Washington Sundar and KL Rahul are nursing their hamstrings before the start of the IPL.

Sanju Samson’s start-stop international career got a lifeline in the T20Is against Sri Lanka. Pant and Virat Kohli have been rested for the T20 series.

The three musketeers

Under Rohit, the aim is to groom future captains and it became clear that Rahul, after a poor show in South Africa, is no longer the heir apparent. “…and if such a big cricketer comes forward, if such an experienced player becomes a captain, then automatically, the things that we as a selection committee want, grooming captain under Rohit, will be tremendous thing for us,” Chetan Sharma said. He did name three players who have either led or been deputy in the past few months, saying the trio will be groomed by the new captain. “We made KL the captain in South Africa. Bumrah was the deputy in South Africa and again for Sri Lanka series. In the West Indies T20Is, we had Rishabh as the vice-captain. These are potential leaders.”—