The future of Rohit Sharma in Test cricket hangs in the balance as questions arise about his longevity in the format.
With concerns surrounding his current form and fitness, the crucial query emerges: Will Sharma, the current skipper, continue playing Test cricket for the next two years and complete the upcoming cycle, considering that he would be approaching the age of 38?
While one can't put a date on KL Rahul's comeback from a thigh surgery, he is no longer in leadership contention.
Another question is who is a better bet as vice-captain in next one year if Cheteshwar Pujara is phased out considering that the West Indies is one Test team against whom a youngster would have easy initiation.
"The problem is that you give a West Indies Test series to Pujara and if he scores, you have got to persist with him for one more year as there are no Tests after this till December. So do you do that or straightaway get a youngster and get him ready for bigger battles," the former selector questioned.
For many, Shubman Gill at 23 is at the correct age where he can be prepared over time for a leadership role. A short-term solution could be to hand it over to a sure-shot all-format player like Ravindra Jadeja.
However, Gandhi asked why not someone like Ravichandran Ashwin, who has a fantastic cricket brain.
"Why not Ashwin? And if you say that he is not a certainty overseas, then I would say even Rahane, despite being a vice-captain, was dropped from playing XI at one point. So even Ashwin can be considered or Rahane for a short time before Gill cements his place in Test XI," former national selector Devang Gandhi opined.
