It is that time of the year again. After five months of white-ball bonanza in which India went to win an ICC Trophy for the first time in 11 years, Rohit Sharma and his men take a fresh guard for the longest format. A new season, with a new head coach in Gautam Gambhir, that has five Tests at home, followed by five Down Under before culminating in two ICC events - the Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship final at Lord's.
There is a sense of unquestionable excitement in the air. It is always the case at the start of a new season that is packed with red-ball cricket. This one begins in Chennai, where the team is already settled in and training, against Bangladesh on Thursday. Two Tests against Bangladesh, three more against New Zealand before travelling to Australia is a schedule that gives butterflies, and the buildup to the season is brimming with anticipation and thrill.
From the new support staff who have joined the team to the senior pros who have made a comeback, there is a lot to look forward to. More importantly, all eyes will be on Gambhir as it is his first assignment in the longest format as head coach. "I think Gautam is a shrewd cricketer," says former chief selector Sunil Joshi. "Considering the amount of experience he has in red-ball and white-ball cricket and at this point in time, I think the focus would definitely be on playing good red-ball cricket. I'm sure that in his mind the WTC final will be there to lift the trophy this time."
While the WTC final will be the final destination for this Indian team, the road to it is filled with its own challenges, starting with the Bangladesh series. "It's going to be exciting with ten Tests, whether you play at home or away. I'm sure our team is well prepared, especially for the home season. You're playing at home. It should be comfortable but not to forget that the opposition, Bangladesh, are coming from a good win in Pakistan, and New Zealand, they are a very formidable side. You have to play well to win the Tests, especially playing spin in India is going to be challenging," says Joshi.
It is no secret India are a juggernaut at home, and the biggest challenge for Rohit and Gambhir comes when they tour Australia in November for a five-Test series. There will be some extra pressure as well considering India have won the series the last two times they toured Down Under. The hosts are already feeling the heat and are keen to prove a point. India, meanwhile, will be doing their own planning, especially with their pace pool.
Former chief selector MSK Prasad feels that the Australian team will be coming hard at India, harder than ever. "The kind of form they have exhibited over the last couple of years has been phenomenal. They won the ODI World Cup, they won the World Test Championship. The last couple of series will be pinching them. It was a great pleasure that we could win the series after 71 years for the first time. And the second time was even better because several of our superstars didn't play that series. I really wish that it would be a hat-trick but it's not going to be easy. It's going to be a very hard Test series," Prasad, who was at helm during the 2018-19 series win, tells this daily.
However, he also sees it as an opportunity for a team that is in transition. Since the start of 2023, India have handed Test debuts to eleven players and some of them have sealed their spot in the playing XI, especially Yashasvi Jaiswal. Sarfaraz Khan is the No 5 in waiting and Dhruv Jurel is there to back up Rishabh Pant. "For any youngster going to Australia for the first time is always a very tough series. But someone like Shubman Gill or Pant, both of them have done extremely well in the past series itself. They have set certain standards now and I hope that Jaiswal and others will emulate them. It's not easy, but it's a great opportunity. They are our future," says Prasad.
Joshi, who was the chairman of selectors in 2020, had a different challenge back then with Covid, but there is one similarity from then to now -- the long-term planning. "I still remember it was a very tough series for the whole team and the selection committee as well. We have quite a lot of planning and we did send a big squad. So you send the five extra players and those five became the jewels of India for the Test series. It will be challenging. There is a lot at stake. Your personal glory, the team's glory, we need to look at what sort of a fast bowling pool you're taking in and what sort of spinners you're taking in. And of course, who are your all rounders? And I'm sure Ajit (Ajit Agarkar, the current chief selector) and his team would definitely look at that angle," says Joshi.
The one thing both Prasad and Joshi reiterate is the need for left-arm pacers. From Yash Dayal, who got the call-up for Chennai Test, to Arshdeep Singh to Khaleel Ahmed, there are a few players in the domestic circuit and some of them are in action in the ongoing Duleep Trophy as well. "You need left-arm pacers. It's very important. Khaleel bowled really well in the second game, Yash bowled well in the first game. It's a competition of who bowls well, picks up wickets, he gets an opportunity. It is not just Duleep Trophy, there is an A-tour as well. When you go on A tour and you really bowl well, do your strength, fitness training and you look to bowl 20-over spells back-to-back for two to three days, then you sustain that... You want one left-arm seamer to feature, and it depends on the choice of the selectors, captain and team management," says Joshi.
Even as red-ball remains the primary focus, India have a Champions Trophy to play for in February with three ODIs to prepare at home against England early next year. How they go into the tournament after a long red-ball season will determine whether India will win another ICC title before going into the WTC final — something that has eluded India. "From a planning perspective, the BCCI has been spot on. That is why under Rahul Dravid, we almost won the ODI World Cup, and won the T20 World Cup. The camaraderie between Dravid and the board paid rewards and am sure that will continue even with Gambhir as well," says Prasad.
A ten-month cycle that is filled with opportunities to create history awaits. How this season goes could well determine the direction in which Indian cricket goes for the next few years.
