Sunil Joshi, the former India spinner who was chief selector during the 2-1 Test series win in Australia in 2020/21, believes the current Test team batters should play more domestic cricket matches, claiming that it would aid them in getting their run-making groove. India recently suffered a 3-1 Test series loss in Australia, where captain Rohit Sharma made just 31 runs in five innings, while Kohli, despite hitting an unbeaten century in India’s 295-run win in Perth, made only 190 runs across all five matches.
The last time Kohli played a Ranji Trophy game was in 2012, while Rohit has not played a domestic red-ball cricket match for nine years now. The recent domestic first-class game for the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant came in the season-opening Duleep Trophy. Moreover, head coach Gautam Gambhir said after the series loss in Sydney that players should make themselves available to play domestic cricket “if they have the commitment to play red-ball cricket”.
“Our top-order batters don’t play domestic cricket, and why don’t they play there? If I am injured, no. If I’ve been playing all three formats of the game, then yes. If not, please go and play domestic cricket for four days, as when you score runs on those surfaces, it becomes much more easier,” said Joshi in an exclusive conversation with IANS.
“But suddenly, when you come, practice and play two sessions in a Test match on a turner, no chance to get runs then. I’ve been saying this since I was part of the selection committee, people like Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble played domestic cricket despite having made it to the Indian team,” he said.
The only window for Test team players, who are not in consideration for ODIs, to play domestic cricket is when the Ranji Trophy’s sixth round resumes on January 23. Joshi also recalled a time when he played a domestic game during an important Test series at home. “We played a Test match in 1999 against New Zealand in Mohali. After that, I played in the Board XI game between New Zealand and Karnataka, the Ranji Trophy champions and we won in less than three-four days. Then I played the next Test match against New Zealand in Kanpur and we won that as well. So I don’t understand why players cannot play domestic games.”
The recent lean run in Tests for India – a 3-0 defeat to New Zealand at home and a 3-1 series win to Australia – raises questions about the side’s decision-making processes and their approach to playing the longer format. “For us, first of all, we need to look at what is our strength. How are we approaching Test cricket? Are we approaching Test cricket predominantly to play more on spin-friendly or a batting-friendly or a fast bowling-friendly pitch? We all know that when you get to Asia or the subcontinent, the wickets are going to be slow with low turn.”
“So then why don’t you have certain players who are very good in domestic cricket who can do this for you? Probably I would have been happy that if Sarfaraz had played in Australia, because whatever was said and done, he has scored runs against the New Zealand bowlers and England bowlers as well in India, isn’t it?”
“The last time India lost a Test series at home, it was to South Africa 2-0 on a turner in 2000. So have we not learned any lesson from it, as in 2024 we have lost a Test series 3-0. Like, it’s a very thin line between being brave and being stupid. Why I’m saying this is in the first Test match, where New Zealand played against India in Bengaluru, there was a cloud cover.”
“For three days, there was heavy rain. Then the covers opened and we lost. It’s a very simple theory on why we need to bat under overcast skies. But we did it again and made an error by not putting New Zealand in. Anyway, if you’re going to play on a spin-friendly pitch, why don’t you put opposition into it? Why do you get stuck into it?”
“The same thing happened when India lost to England in Hyderabad. So if you don’t want to play on a turner, don’t play on a turner. You think that we have a good fast-bowling attack, so play on a good fast-bowling pitch. We need to understand that when our spinners get lots of wickets, our batters need to play against the opposition’s less skilled spinners also,” elaborated Joshi.
With the Australia tour over, India’s focus now shifts to the white-ball series against England at home-five T20Is and three ODIs. While the new-look T20I team is expected to continue its good form, the ODIs will be India’s final chance to fine-tune their combinations ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy in February-March, where its games will be held in Dubai.
Understandably, all eyes will be on the form of Rohit and Kohli, as well as on Bumrah’s availability for the ODIs and Champions Trophy. But Joshi feels changes should happen in personnel in ODIs and Tests in the next few months after the Champions Trophy, especially with the transition in red-ball set-up inevitable.
“I honestly feel that there should be some changes. If you want to go further for the next few years of Test or ODI cricket, keeping the (2027) World Cup in mind, you need to look at the fresh faces. That’s again as per my thought process.”
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