Even a year ago, who would have thought Rohit Sharma would be the captain for Virat Kohli’s 100th Test? Kohli may no longer be India captain, but the build-up to the Mohali Test has been all about him as he goes into his 100th game. The eleventh-hour announcement to allow fans has had people queuing up outside the ticket counter at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in a city that has always made it clear it does not prefer Test cricket. Amid the anticipation for a massively creditable individual landmark, what has somewhat slipped under the radar is the fact that this will be the first Test for the team since the leadership baton was passed. The first two questions to debutant Test captain Rohit during the pre-match press conference were expectedly about Kohli. The third was about the imminent start of his Test captaincy stint, to which Rohit allowed himself half a smile before answering. Rohit was also asked, with Kohli reaching three figures, whether he had set any targets for himself in the longest format, considering he has played ‘only 40-odd Tests’. The reply was typical Rohit. “Kya sir, kya target set karoon main abhi apne liye? Haan 40 matches khela hai. Main khush hoon chaalis matches se [What target should I set now? Yes, I’ve played 40-odd games. But I’m happy with 40-odd games]. #TeamIndia Captain @ImRo45 at his hilarious best in the press conference 😄😄#INDvSL | @Paytm pic.twitter.com/0tw6EPFg6V — BCCI (@BCCI) March 3, 2022 “It’s not that I have any regrets. Kaafi saari injuries aur anban huey hain beech mein [There have been a lot of injuries and discord].” Then he paused and turned to the team media manager, asked what anban meant, and immediately clarified that he meant ups and downs, and not discord, lest people get ideas. It was perhaps too casual an interaction for a Test captain taking over the reins, but that is Rohit for you. Like it was for MS Dhoni, this is after all, a game for him, and he gives the impression that he treats it that way. Kohli the skipper would often be combative or, towards the end, philosophical in his interactions with the media. There would be this taut, edgy energy around. This was dead-serious business for him; you do not transform an entire ecosystem’s approach to fitness just like that, after all. 💬 💬 We want to make the occassion special for @imVkohli: #TeamIndia Captain @ImRo45 #INDvSL | @Paytm | #VK100 pic.twitter.com/NOxk0bTRr8 — BCCI (@BCCI) March 3, 2022 This is not to say Rohit will actually be casual. Far from it. On Wednesday afternoon, he sauntered across the ground towards the nets in that characteristic manner, as if going for a hit in the neighbourhood park with friends. But once he got into his stance, it was intense practice. Over the years, he seems to have nailed the art of switching on and off. He may not have the Test numbers his predecessor has, but he comes in with a stellar captaincy resume: five Indian Premier League titles, plus a reputation for both an emphasis on planning and allowing players their space. He is also a white-ball great for India, with 41 international hundreds, so the batting pedigree is unquestionable there. Here is a man who, less than four years ago, had declared he had made peace with a stop-start Test career, but has since turned it around remarkably as an opener. 𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦! Welcome to the 1⃣0⃣0⃣-Test club Virat Kohli 👏 👏#TeamIndia greats share their thoughts on @imVkohli's landmark Test, his achievements & the impact he's had on Indian cricket. 🔝 👍 Watch the full feature 🎥 🔽 pic.twitter.com/gzN71BZnCn — BCCI (@BCCI) March 2, 2022 That being said, he’s gone from dealing with an unfulfilled Test career to being the leader who’ll have to oversee the team’s transformation. Ishant Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane - that is 282 Test matches worth of experience that won’t be available in Mohali. Rohit will have to fit in two out of Shubman Gill, Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer at Nos. 3 and 5, either side of Kohli. Say all you want about Pujara and Rahane’s lean runs and also about how much of a lightweight Sri Lanka have become of late. But if someone such as Lasith Embuldeniya or Lahiru Kumara finds some rhythm, the new middle order could be seriously tested. As far as captaincy initiations go, though, No 7 ranked Sri Lanka, on paper at least, provides Rohit the window to settle into the role, unlike what a bigger opponent such as England or Australia would have. There is also the matter of grooming the next line of leaders in KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant, to name a few prominent ones. Of course, it is not as straightforward a case of holding the baton until the identified successor catches up, like Anil Kumble and Dhoni were. But Rohit will be 35 next month, and with the injury cloud never too far away from him, there is no saying how long he could go on. Not that Rohit will be losing sleep over the subject. For now, he has been given the job, and his immediate goal is to defeat Sri Lanka. It was interesting that the only time Rohit sounded slightly discordant during an otherwise breezy and often funny press conference was when he was asked who his preferred opening partner was: Mayank Agarwal or Gill. “No, no, I’m the captain. I’ll prefer everyone to be part of the team yaar, come on. I have no preferences like that. We’ll analyse who is the right guy and take the call.” Taking pains to start his captaincy with the right words, or being protective about his players. Interpret it as you wish, but Friday will still usher in two major landmarks in Indian cricket. And Rohit Sharma will still remain khush with the fact that he is not going to get even close to 100 Test matches.
