Sunil Gavaskar takes jibe at MS Dhoni's captaincy amid Rohit Sharma censure

Over the last few years, Team India has done great as far as Test matches are concerned. It has tasted victory not just in domestic tours but has also conquered overseas pitches.

However, defeats in two consecutive World Test Championships have become a bone of contention between critics and the team, with ex-skipper Virat Kohli and his successor Rohit Sharma both failing to bring the cup home.

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The most recent figure to lambast India's performance is the legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar. In an interview with the Indian Express, Gavaskar said he expects more accountability from the Indian skippers and coaches. He raised concerns on how the aforementioned individuals were allowed a free pass with no questions asked.

"Whether you win or lose, the captain knows that he is going to be there. This has not been a recent case, mind you. This has been happening since 2011. There have been results where we have been wiped out in the series 0-4, 0-4 but the captain hasn't changed," said the former World Cup winner.

Gavaskar's subtle jibe at MSD?

In making the aforementioned comments, Gavaskar has probably raised questions about M S Dhoni's performance as a captain. The disastorous tour of Australia and England in 2011-12, where Dhoni was the man-in-charge, remained a blot on Team India for a very long time.

Although, under Dhoni's able tutelage, the team went on to win the 2011 World Cup and was catapulted to number one rank in ODIs, things weren't as rosy in the Test department. The hosts (Australia and England) washed out India despite the latter having all the top names in world cricket playing for it. These two tours were not just absolute routs, but even the performances by all the big guns from the Indian side were severely underwhelming.

Despite this, Dhoni remained the India captain till 2014. Virat Kohli took over the reigns later.

Kohli's captaincy would help India bag two series victories in Australia, triumph in England, and deliver spectacular performances on home turfs as well. However, Virat was soon replaced by Rohit Sharma during the South Africa series of 2021-22.

Sharma took India to the WTC final this year, but questions on his leadership were raised after team's debacle against Australia. Besides, the team management's decision to have one captain for all formats of the game is under the scanner too. Most foreign teams have different captains for different formats. This helps in easing out pressure from a single leader and gives the team a fresh perspective.