Ishant Sharma has been one of India’s most improved fast bowlers and the tall lad from Delhi has certainly been very impressive in the previous World Test Championship for India. He has been bowling great lines and lengths consistently and hardly has given away loose deliveries. The main thing to consider about him will be the age factor and he has already shown signs of wearing out. Fast bowling is one of the hardest things in cricket and it can take a toll on the physical fitness of the player. He will be under the scanner in the test series about his fitness and it won’t be a surprise if he opts to retire from the format especially.
The veteran wicket-keeper batsman Wriddiman Saha is not the first choice option anymore and he has fallen back in the order with Rishabh Pant looking in fine form. Pant’s improved performances with his keeping and his usual excellent with the bat have made life difficult for Saha. The 36-year-old has faced injury concerns off late and couldn’t take part in the warm-up game against County Selected XI on identified as close contacts of Covid-positive members. He is unlikely to get a chance in the playing XI in the five tests unless there is an injury to Pant and he might well look to retire after the series.
Ajinkya Rahane is another player who might retire from Tests after the IND vs SA series. Rahane has seen a lump in his form for a long time now. Since he only plays in Tests, he has a lot of responsibility in the batting department. Recently, he was dropped from the team in the IND vs NZ 2nd Test. Moreover, he was also removed as Test vice-captain. In 21 Test innings in 2021, the right-handed batsman has piled up 411 runs at an average of just 19.57.
Umesh Yadav is another player in this list. The 34-year-old player only plays for the national side in Test format but is not a regular member in the squad. In 2021, the right-arm pacer was picked in 3 Tests. Bowling in 6 innings, he scalped 8 wickets at an average of 30.75. With a narrow competition for pacers in the national setup currently, Yadav might find it difficult to get a place in the playing XI in the future. Hence, he might retire from the longer format.
Jayant Yadav is another Indian player who might retire from Test cricket after the IND vs SA series. The right-arm off-spinner gets only a few chances on the national side. Since 2016, he has only played 5 Test matches for India, picking 16 wickets at an average of 26.81. With spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin, Washinton Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja cementing their spot on the Test side, Yadav might find it difficult to find a place in the Test team in near future.
