The dressing room has never felt so empty. The sound of Virat Kohli’s animated screams and Rohit Sharma’s somber tactical clamor have dissipated, leaving a deafening silence echoing the end of an era. For over a decade, Kohli and Rohit had been able to lead Indian Test batting like the very presence of a tricolor floating in the air above the famous Lord’s on a summer morning. Now, as both have declared their retirement from Test cricket within days of one another, Indian cricket stands at a crossroads into the uncertain future.
A Void and a Question
The timing couldn’t be more daunting. India’s next task: a back-breaking Test tour of England, the very hot-house where heroes are made and wannabes debunked. Now, the core batting unit of the team seems green, inexperienced, and vulnerable is some people’s judgment.
The selectors are torn: Do they toss the next generation into the deep end, or do they find comfort in experience, calling upon two men who have had too much of English summers – Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane?
The Case for Pujara and Rahane
Cheteshwar Pujara’s tale is one of determination. Written off more than once, he has ever managed to find his way back, his bat a metronome of calm. Dropped after the WTC final in 2023, Pujara did not sulk; instead, he went back to the drudgery of domestic cricket and the County Championship in England, quietly accumulating runs. His fitness in these conditions has been hard to ignore, and as a result, he is now a contender to make a return.
Ajinkya Rahane, had captained the 2024 Ranji Trophy champion Mumbai and scored 467 runs in 10 matches. His leadership in Australia in 2021 when he captained an under-strength India team to an historic series victory, is almost of folklore. Rahane’s composure at crunch times, his power to take on punishment-physical and emotional-cast him as an attractive short-term solution to a team so bereft now of experience.
Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara’s Test Records in England
| Players | Ajinkya Rahane | Cheteshwar Pujara |
| Matches | 16 | 16 |
| Innings | 31 | 32 |
| Runs | 864 | 870 |
| Highest Score | 103 | 132 |
| Average | 28.80 | 29.00 |
| Centuries | 1 | 1 |
| Fifties | 6 | 5 |
Anecdotes of Resilience
There’s a tale that encapsulates Pujara’s determination. In the 2018 tour of Australia, he absorbed body blows, played for hours, and broke the world’s best attack. When questioned about the bruises, he just smiled and said, “It’s part of the job.” Rahane, too, has his own share of defining moments-none greater than his match-winning century at the MCG, taking a battered side back from the edge.
Implications for Team Dynamics
If Pujara and Rahane do come back, it will not be merely a case of filling numbers. Their return could stabilize a young, inexperienced team, offering the sort of stability and guidance that Kohli and Rohit provided. As commentator Aakash Chopra said, “If both Kohli and Rohit are not there, maybe you want to think about Pujara or Rahane. Both are playing well and scoring runs.”
But this is more than a strategic choice. It’s about bridging generations, about making sure the transition does not turn into a free fall. The younger crop-talented but untested in the demands of English conditions-could gain a lot from having two men who have ridden out storms in whites as their dressing room mentors.
Ready for the Challenge?
Neither Pujara nor Rahane is the future of Indian cricket, but perhaps, for this one tour, they are the present it needs so badly. Their preparedness is not about the recent runs; it’s about scars gained, lessons gained, and the quiet assurance that comes from having experienced it before.
As India sets off on its English odyssey, the narratives are full of promise. Will the selectors look to the old guard one last time? Or will they take a risk and go for youth, with the potential for upheaval in the hopes of unearthing the next great Indian batsman?
Whatever the choice, the story is evident: in the shadows cast by Kohli and Rohit, figures like Pujara and Rahane could yet discover the light for a last act-a tribute to resilience, experience, and the long-lasting spirit of Test cricket.
Written By Smita Singh
