New Delhi: Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has spoken about India’s challenge of filling the void left by the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Test cricket. As Team India gears up for their five-match Test series against England starting June 24 at Headingley, Ponting expressed faith in India’s young talent pool to step up.
Acknowledging the difficulty of replacing two stalwarts who have been pillars of India’s Test lineup, Ponting told The ICC Review, “It’s always very difficult to replace players like that who have been around for so long and have played so much Test cricket. But if any country can do it quickly, it’s India because of the young talent they have.”
Ponting highlighted the emergence of promising players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has successfully transitioned from the IPL to international cricket, underscoring India’s depth. “While replacing the skill is one aspect, which I believe India can do relatively easily, the experience is the key element that will be missing. Even with a young captain like Shubman Gill, they will still have some experienced players like KL Rahul and Bumrah around.”
He added, “In a rebuilding phase, I think India can handle it better than most other teams.”
Meanwhile, new India captain Shubman Gill also commented on the retirements, saying, “Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are seasoned players who have secured many victories for us. It is always challenging to replace such talent, but our team has a good blend of youth and experience.”
Gill assured that the team does not feel extra pressure, stating, “This situation does not add extra pressure because our team is always ready to handle stress and knows how to win in such circumstances.”
As India embarks on this new chapter, all eyes will be on how the young squad shapes up under Gill’s leadership in the upcoming Test series.
