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Since becoming captain in February 2022, Rohit has played only two Tests, and now Australia stand between him and a World Test Championship final

Karthik Krishnaswamy05-Feb-2023It’s been a little over a year since it officially began, but has the Rohit Sharma era as India captain really begun at all?It’s made a spluttering sort of start in Test cricket: Rohit missed three of India’s five Tests since he became their all-format captain. Injuries, in fact, have forced Rohit to miss eight of India’s last 10 Test matches. He was Player of the Match in India’s last Test before this stretch of games, a landmark victory that took them to a 2-1 series lead in England, months after they had beaten Australia 2-1 in Australia.Since then, India’s world-beating aura has faded somewhat – they lost Tests they could have won in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Birmingham, and won one they could quite conceivably have lost in Dhaka – and Rohit has mostly been an absent figurehead.Related

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He has had more of a chance to make an impact as a white-ball captain, and his overall results have been fantastic. Rohit has the best win-loss ratio of any India ODI captain who has led at least 10 times in that format, and only Hardik Pandya, who has only captained in 11 matches, sits above him on the corresponding T20I list.Reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup a year after exiting the same tournament at the group stage could be seen as a significant achievement for both Rohit and Rahul Dravid, who took over as head coach after the 2021 tournament. But it wouldn’t be lost on either of them that, for all the gains India made as a T20I side between the two tournaments, particularly in terms of batting approach, the same failings cost them in both 2021 and 2022.Dravid knows from experience that tournament results end up defining captains, and that one bad tournament can cancel out the goodwill earned via bilateral results, especially in white-ball cricket. He could be remembered as the captain who turned India into a world-class chasing team in ODIs, but it’s likely that far more remember him for leading India to a group-stage exit at the 2007 World Cup.Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid took over as India’s captain and coach after the 2021 T20 World Cup•Getty ImagesProcess dominates cricket discourse far more in Rohit’s era than it did in Dravid’s, but results – specifically results in “big” games and tournaments – eventually come to define the tenures of captains, coaches and selectors.That Rohit succeeded Virat Kohli was itself, in part, down to a sense that he would be a big-tournament captain, and India had been starved of big-tournament titles since 2013. At the time he took over the white-ball teams, Rohit had just won his fifth IPL title as Mumbai Indians’ captain, and there were three ICC trophies up for grabs in the next two years.Tournament results are, of course, heavily dependent on how good a team is relative to the competition, the format – one or two bad days are enough to send a strong contender out of the T20 World Cup at the group stage than they are to prevent one from reaching the IPL playoffs – and luck.When teams win, though, the complicated story of their success is often simplified, and retold with the captain cast as some sort of all-knowing, benevolent mastermind. In the media, this premise is usually backed up with player testimonials – it’s a fresh surprise each time players in winning teams say good things about their captains, no doubt – rather than any analysis of how this superhero captain’s decision-making differed from that of other captains in similar situations, and no one ever asks whether the same team, filled with so many other winning ingredients, could have just as easily won with a different captain.For whatever it was worth, then, Rohit came to the India captaincy with something of an aura. Now, just over a year since becoming all-format captain, there are threats to his leadership in every format.In T20Is, the threat has a name. Hardik has captained India in every T20I they’ve played since the World Cup semi-final against England in November. Rohit scored a scratchy 27 off 28 balls in that match, and he hasn’t played a T20I since. Now this is mostly because India are building up to an ODI World Cup and are looking to rest their senior players from T20Is, but it’s not inconceivable that one or more of the young top-order contenders who are now getting their chance could make themselves exceedingly difficult to leave out by the time T20Is become top priority again.The future of Rohit’s ODI captaincy, meanwhile, could hinge on whether or not India translate their status as favourites for this year’s home World Cup into actually winning it. It’s an unfair amount of pressure, but it is what it is.Rohit Sharma has not played a Test match since March 2022•Associated PressHis Test captaincy, of course, has barely begun at all.It’s against this backdrop that Rohit will lead India in one of Test cricket’s highest-profile contests. The 2016-17 Border-Gavaskar Trophy was perhaps the greatest Test series India has hosted this millennium – yes, arguably even greater than 2000-01 for the range of quality performances from both sets of players – a series where Australia made them reach into their deepest reserves of skill and stamina to complete a 2-1 comeback win.The Australia of 2022-23 could be an even better collection of players than the one that toured in 2016-17, and could be an even better team if they address one key structural issue – the seeming lack of a quality second spinner.India will, as ever, begin the series with a formidable spin attack and, despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, a group of quicks who are often deadly in home conditions. The batting will give them a few more headaches: India will be without Rishabh Pant’s genius and – for the first Test at least – Shreyas Iyer’s counterattacking flair against spin. This is a worry because they’ve been India’s best batters in subcontinental conditions since the start of 2021, a period in which Cheteshwar Pujara has averaged 34.61 in Asia and Virat Kohli 23.85. Rohit’s red-ball rhythm, meanwhile, is a bit of an unknown, since he hasn’t played a Test match since March 2022.For all that, India should still be favourites, but if you’re an India fan and your normal pre-series anticipation is tinged with a sense of nameless dread, it could be because of this: R Ashwin is 36; Rohit, Pujara and Umesh Yadav are 35; Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja are 34; and Mohammed Shami is 32. Ishant Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, both 34, may already have played their last Tests.It’s fallen upon Rohit to captain India’s most successful generation of Test cricketers when they’re ageing at the same time. Managing this transition could be an exceedingly tricky task, and quite a lot of it – what can a mere captain do, for instance, to unearth successors to all-time greats? – is beyond his control, but it’s one other thing he’ll be judged on, for better or worse.The Rohit Sharma era, then, could be a short one. And if this series against Australia – upon whose outcome hinges India’s qualification for the World Test Championship final – doesn’t go to plan, it could threaten to end before it’s even had a chance to properly begin.

A career-best innings led his team to a position of dominance and suggested du Plessis still has a role to play

Firdose Moonda28-Dec-2020It was right there. Faf du Plessis’ first Test double-ton was just over Dimuth Karunaratne’s head. He could see it when he tried to hit Wanindu Hasaranga over the top for the money shot that would have taken him to 200.So he stepped forward and struck the ball and may have already imagined it clearing Karunaratne, bouncing a couple of times until it bobbled over the boundary, at which point he would have stretched out his arms, taken off his helmet and soaked in the satisfaction.But no… du Plessis had put a foot wrong, for only the second time in his innings. The first was 21 deliveries earlier when he raised his back foot as Niroshan Dickwella attempted a stumping. A review could not conclusively prove whether his foot was sufficiently off the floor at the moment the bail lifted and he was afforded the benefit of the doubt. He was on 191 at the time and quietly worked his way in ones and twos to 199, and the moment of presumed glory. When it came, he moved down the track, but didn’t get to the pitch of the ball. The catch was simple and the result, for the South African change-room, stunning.Dean Elgar, who is also among the small club of batsmen to be dismissed on 199, sat with his head cradled in his arms. Mark Boucher rocked back in his chair and shook his head. Quinton de Kock covered his mouth with his hands. Morne Morkel, who grew up on this ground and called du Plessis getting a double on social media shortly after he reached his hundred, may have shuddered from his new home in Australia. And du Plessis gritted his teeth and glanced at where Karunaratne had taken his 200 from him before walking back a warm applause from almost everyone the stadium, the Sri Lankan fielders included.Related

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There isn’t much use ruing what could have been, except for that there may not be a better opportunity for du Plessis. This was the day that South Africa put up the highest score at SuperSport Park, established two new partnership records against Sri Lanka, for the fifth and seventh wickets, had two other batsmen secure career bests and were facing an opposition that, at one stage, had only two bowlers at their disposal.No disrespect to Sri Lanka – in fact only sympathy because bad luck and maybe enforced bad planning as a result of the pandemic left them severely depleted – but the quality of their bowling was compromised. Suranga Lakmal was ruled out of this match, and Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara could only play limited roles, leaving it to Vishwa Fernando to carry the pace-bowling load.Maybe that’s what it needed for South Africa to start to rediscover their batting rhythms. After Aiden Markram and Elgar translated their domestic form onto the international stage once again, Temba Bavuma broke a 14-innings half-century drought (and probably should have gone on to break his soon-to-be-five-year century drought but walked) and du Plessis, who has not played a game of red-ball cricket since he stepped down as Test captain in January, showed why South Africa can be damn grateful he didn’t retire as well.That du Plessis still has it we knew that from the recent IPL, as well as the subsequent T20 series against England. He seemed to have lost it a little in Tests, though. In 14 innings since the 2018-19 series against Sri Lanka, he had scored two half-centuries and, in the last 11, failed to cross 36. But he had other things on his mind.Series in India and at home to England – his last as captain – came and went amid a turnover of coaching staff. He also became embroiled in a race controversy after using the controversial phrase “we don’t see colour” when explaining why Bavuma had been dropped. While that may sound benign, in South Africa, where colour has been definitive in deciding opportunity for centuries, it was a naive and careless statement to throw out and it haunted du Plessis. He struggled for runs, he struggled for consistency and in the end, it seemed he was struggling to justify why he was putting himself through it all.

Becoming a daddy can make a big difference to someone’s priorities and character, and maybe scoring daddy-hundreds could do that too

He stood down and stepped away, which seems to have done him as much good as it has others who have relinquished the captaincy. Look no further than the last South African to score a double-hundred – Hashim Amla in the New Year’s Test against England in 2015-16. Amla was still the captain in that game but had already decided he was going to resign and his breezy innings was a demonstration in being unburdened. After that match, Amla spoke freely for the first time about the difficulties of being a player of colour in a largely white team in the early 2000s. Letting go of the leadership seemed to liberate Amla, and it may do the same for du Plessis.Before this innings, du Plessis had nine Test hundreds to his name, all of them under 150. Of all the things he has done in whites, which include leading South Africa to series wins against Australia home and away, daddy-hundreds eluded him.But just a few months ago, du Plessis became a father for the second time. When his first daughter, Amelie, was born, he spoke about how having a child changed him. With his second, Zoey, there has also been a profound impact with his wife Imari describing their youngest child as the “woman who can command him”. Becoming a daddy can make a big difference to someone’s priorities and character, and maybe scoring daddy-hundreds could do that too. Supposedly, they are the hallmark of a great player, rather than just a good one.If there’s one thing South Africa need now, it’s greats. They have lost their golden generation that lifted the Test mace in 2012 and are in a process of rebuilding. Going into this match none of their batsmen averaged over 40 and their seam attack had just 12 caps between them. They are favourites to win this match, but there is still much work to be done.Some of that work is the ushering of younger batsmen through the rigours of international cricket. du Plessis shared in significant partnerships with Bavuma, Wiaan Mulder and Keshav Maharaj. Even if he didn’t say much, by watching du Plessis and feeding off him, all three would have learnt a little more about what it takes to perform at this level. In that, du Plessis is doing more than just enhancing his reputation in the twilight of his career, he is doing the job of mentoring the next generation, which will be worth more to South Africa than the difference between 199 and a double-hundred.

India have dominated all of their 11 ODIs against Pakistan so far

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Oct-2025Big pictureThe last time these teams met at an ODI World Cup, India won. They tend to. If you are new to the women’s version of this “rivalry”, the headline is that however big the gap is between India and Pakistan’s men’s teams, it has tended to be bigger here. Pakistan have never beaten India in 11 ODIs. They haven’t got close. India have always won by at least 80 runs or five wickets.But the last time these teams met at an ODI World Cup, something else happened that seems of greater relevance to this moment. After the match (India’s win was by 107 runs, by the way), a group of India players were seen playing with and delighting in the six-month-old daughter of Bismah Maroof, Pakistan’s then-captain, who had the infant on her shoulder. It was an uncomplicated moment of shared humanity and joy, the women cooing to the baby and trying gently to draw from her a reaction, while her mother continued to comfort her. Whatever the politics surrounding Sunday’s match, it should not be forgotten that these are athletes who have enjoyed moments of connection, and treated each other with dignity, in the past.Both teams say they are focused on the cricket ahead of this match (there has been no confirmation whether the Indian team will shake hands with the Pakistan players, though), and on a purely cricketing front, Pakistan have a lot of work to do to make a match of this. Their first problem is their batting. They were bowled out for 129 by Bangladesh on Thursday. They do have batters in form – Sidra Amin and Muneeba Ali have been especially good over the last few months. But Pakistan batters don’t have a history of batting consistently against top-quality bowling, which is what India possess.Related

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India, meanwhile, will be pleased with the start they have made in this tournament, though they will also hope their top order can fire. Against Sri Lanka, it was the lower-order batting of Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma that lifted them to a winning total. Their bowling looked in good order in the defence too, with Sneh Rana, Shree Charani and Deepti finding frequent wickets through the middle overs. They also have the advantage of knowing this venue well – India played a tri-series in Colombo earlier this year.Form guideIndia WLWLW (last five ODIs, most recent first)
Pakistan LWLLWIn the spotlight: Sneh Rana and Sidra AminOffspinner Sneh Rana took to the Khettarama surface almost immediately, taking 3 for 31 in her first ODI at the venue. In four matches since, she has built up quite the record at this ground, taking 15 wickets at an average of 14.00 here, becoming Player of the Tournament in that tri-series in May. She has also made a strong start to this World Cup, taking 2 for 32 against Sri Lanka, having also contributed 28 not out with the bat.The last time these two teams met at an ODI World Cup•PCB

Pakistan’s best chance of making a good score is for Sidra Amin to find some runs. Just in the last three weeks, she had hit 121 not out, 122 and a 50 not out against a good South Africa attack. She was bowled first ball on Thursday, but that was more down to the quality of Marufa Akter’s delivery than through any major failing of Amin. She is not the most aggressive batter around, but this year, she has been the rock that Pakistan build their innings around.Team newsIndia may not see a need to change their winning XI.India (probable): 1 Pratika Rawal, 2 Smriti Mandhana, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Deepti Sharma, 7 Richa Ghosh (wk), 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Sneh Rana, 10 Kranti Goud, 11 Shree CharaniPakistan will think about bringing Eyman Fatima into the side to strengthen their batting. Legspinner Syeda Aroob Shah may also be considered, as she offers some batting as well.Pakistan (probable): 1 Muneeba Ali, 2 Omaima Sohail, 3 Sidra Amin, 4 Aliya Riaz, 5 Natalia Pervaiz, 6 Fatima Sana (capt), 7 Rameen Shamim, 8 Diana Baig, 9 Sidra Nawaz (wk), 10 Nashra Sandhu, 11 Sadia IqbalSidra Amin has been in great form but has struggled in Sri Lanka over the years•PCB

Pitch and conditionsIt looks like the northeast monsoon has hit Colombo; the city is starting to get day-long rains. Saturday’s match between Australia and Sri Lanka was rained out without the toss taking place (this could be a neat way to avoid the handshake question). In the match that did see some play, on Thursday, the seamers from both Pakistan and Bangladesh got movement in the air and off the surface. With the rain around, there is bound to be moisture in the square.Stats and trivia Although Pakistan’s top run-scorer this year, Amin has an awful record in Sri Lanka. Having played five innings on the island, she has a total of 24 runs here. Her duck on Thursday was her second in Sri Lanka. This has been the richest year for Rana, with 23 of her 52 ODI wickets having come in 2025. Although this stadium is their home for the World Cup, Pakistan women had never played an ODI at Khettarama before Thursday.Quotes”Deepti, Sneh Rana and Shree Charani are a very good combination, where there is a lot of experience also. There is youth as well. They’ve been playing together since the last three-four series, and the combination is really working well for us. Also, they all are very hardworking girls. Most games also, in my interactions with them, they want to improve. What they want to improve and how they want to improve are the questions around which these three are working around. They’re very hungry to go out there and give their best for the country.”
“Support from our senior players is very important for me. They help me out when I make mistakes. Sidra Amin, Diana Baig, Aliya Riaz – they make sure we are tight-knit as a group, and any mistake that one of us makes, we do our best to cover it up or compensate for it. There is great team unity. As captain, it is a challenge leading a group at such a young age, but the support from my team makes it easy.”

Trent Rockets 113 for 7 (Rehan 37) beat Birmingham Phoenix 111 for 9 (Rehan 3-15) by three wicketsTrent Rockets geared up for their Eliminator showdown with Northern Superchargers by sneaking past Birmingham Phoenix with one ball to spare after a memorable debut in The Hundred for Ben Cox and an eye-catching all-round display from Rehan Ahmed.The Rockets confirmed their second-place finish in the group, behind Oval Invincibles on net run rate, and will go into Saturday evening’s contest at the Kia Oval full of confidence after claiming their sixth win in eight.Spin was the key for the Rockets, with their slow bowlers producing combined figures of 6 for 35 from 50 deliveries after Ben Duckett (20 from 15) and Will Smeed (23 from 12) had made a promising start.Rockets skipper David Willey may have been questioning his decision to insert the opposition when the Phoenix raced to 36 for 0 from 21 deliveries, but the innings stalled when Duckett scuffed a short delivery from Lockie Ferguson to Rehan at midwicket.Joe Clarke soon followed, slog-sweeping southpaw spinner George Linde to deep midwicket, and from there the wickets tumbled. The irrepressible Rehan (3 for 15) induced a chop-on from Smeed and snared Jacob Bethell for a duck three deliveries later before Linde (2 for 12) claimed his second when Liam Livingstone’s ugly heave met thin air.Rehan grabbed his third – and 10th in the competition overall – when Benny Howell picked out Max Holden on the boundary and Joe Root, whose 15 deliveries cost just eight runs, got in on the action when Liam Patterson-White’s edge was brilliantly held by Cox, who only received a call-up to join the Rockets yesterday following an injury to Adam Hose.Dan Mousley (26 from 25) gave the score some respectability but 111-9 looked well under par, even on a spin-friendly surface.The chase was far from easy though. After the early loss of Tom Banton for 1, caught at mid-on off Boult, Rehan sparkled once more, racing to 37 in 23 balls before an audacious slog sweep was caught in the deep off Livingstone. Root continued his good recent form in the tournament with a run-a-ball 25 that came to an end when he was bowled by Patterson-White and the left-arm spinner struck again five deliveries later, castling Willey with a devilish delivery that spun back sharply between bat and pad.Linde was run-out after a mix-up and Marcus Stoinis got a leading edge to cover off Bethell as the Rockets slipped to 89-6, and the left-arm spinner struck again when Sam Hain holed out to leave six required from five.Bethell was entrusted with the final set and conceded just three runs from his first three deliveries but Cox kept a cool head and swept the fourth to the boundary to finish unbeaten on 17 from 12 balls.Named Meerkat Match Hero after his three wickets and quickfire knock, Rehan said: “Coxy was always going to do it, I had full trust in him. There was a lot of assistance for spinners on this pitch. We train on similar surfaces so it was about going out there and doing the same thing. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity I’ve been given and hopefully I can do it in the next couple of games.”