Former India Women's team captain Anjum Chopra has expressed her opinion on the constant murmurs regarding the change of leadership in the Indian Cricket Team in Test cricket.
Ever since Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane led Team India to a historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in Australia recently with regular captain Virat Kohli going back home after the first Test, a section of former cricketers, experts, and fans have been calling for changes in the leadership.
Rahane hasn’t lost a single Test so far in his captaincy, while Kohli has been struggling to put up a good show as a batsman as well as deliver the result as captain, and now he has lost four Tests in a row with the latest defeat coming against England in Chennai.
In the first Test of the ongoing four-match Test series against England, India suffered an embarrassing defeat of 227 runs and it has only sparked the matter, and even former England spinner Monty Panesar said Kohli may take a call on his Test captaincy if the hosts lose the second Test.
Reacting to the debate, Anjum admitted Rahane did a brilliant job in Australia, but it is unfair to say Kohli should make way for Mumbai batsman because of the last Test series win, saying the calls for captaincy change would only creating a conflict in the Indian dressing room.
She further backed Kohli to continue leading the Indian team in the longest format of the game while Rahane continue as his deputy. Former cricketer further stressed it would not be good at all to disturb the combination of Kohli leading the side and Rahane as his deputy at the moment.
As reported by India Today, Chopra said: “Nothing. I don't make anything of that argument (change in captaincy calls). Ajinkya Rahane scored a hundred; we won the Test match in Melbourne, brilliant! We drew the Test match in Sydney; we won the Test match in Brisbane, excellent performance. Every player has to go out there and perform. It's not Ajinkya vs Virat or Virat vs Rohit.”
She further added, “It's about whoever is given an opportunity to go out there and perform, they are doing it to the best of their abilities and getting victories for the Indian team. To say Virat should make way for Ajinkya just because Ajinkya's team won in Australia Instead of creating a nice environment, it's creating a conflict in the dressing room. Why go that way?”
Chopra signed off by saying, “Ajinkya and Virat have been excellent friends. Designations don't matter. Both of them played to help the team win. Only one of them can go out and toss the coin. As far as the dressing room camaraderie is fine, if people are thinking on the same lines, then I don't think at the present moment the combination of Virat leading the side and Ajinkya as his deputy should be disturbed. You never know what the future holds but at the moment it shouldn't be disturbed.”
