Image Credit – Cricbuzz.
The morning started with the retirement news of Ajinkya Rahane. It was not a shocking affair because he had been out of the Indian setup for a long time, and it was almost certain that the team had moved forward from him. However, the news of retirement formally marked the end of the glorious Indian Test side which dominated world cricket for almost a decade. It all started with Ashwin's retirement in Brisbane, followed by Rohit, Kohli and Pujara. Apart from them, Shami, Bhuvneshwar, Umesh and Ishant are out of the Test team for a long time, and it's almost certain there is no possibility of a comeback.
It is pertinent to note that the Indian Test team was in shambles when Kohli took over in December 2014. However, in a couple of years' time we jumped from the seventh spot to the top. Credit goes to these players who made India the powerhouse of test cricket. Winning at home became a habit, and fighting abroad became our identity. Australia, England, and South Africa – we dominated them all.
The team was so strong that winning a test match in India itself appeared to be an achievement; forget about winning the series. However, every good thing comes to an end, and so has our dominance in red-ball cricket. Presently we have lost 5 out of the last 8 home test matches, with 2 whitewashes in between. Yes, you read it right. We have faced a whitewash in our home. Something which no one could have ever imagined. The team is in transition. But the problematic part is that the red ball legends are being replaced by IPL stars, which has caused further deterioration of the quality of Test cricket in India.
Today one could only hope that the glory days of test cricket would return soon. But, for the time being, we can only remember and cherish the 2015-2023 era when we ruled red-ball cricket.
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