There has been a lot of speculation regarding who would be India's next captain in Tests after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement ahead of the England tour.
Shubman Gill has emerged as the frontrunner for the role, while the other options include the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant.
Although there are no clear-cut favourites to assume the role India's next Test captain, there could be some parameters to select the player for the same.
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R Ashwin suggests India select the next captain with the 'Australian way':
Ashwin has represented India in 106 Test matches and knows how Indian cricket works and how the players are communicated when any decisions are taken. The ace spinner retired from international cricket during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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The off-spinner has spoken about a certain 'Australian way' where a player has to give a presentation about his plans and strategies to lead the side, and the best candidate is picked.
"Leadership is all about character. The Australian way is that the captain has to be a certainty in the first XI," said Ashwin on Ash Ki Baat programme on his YouTube channel.
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In Australia, a captain has to give a presentation. They pick two or three candidates and ask them to present their case. What is your vision? What will be your team's direction? Who will be the players you will be backing? What is the meaning of leadership for you? "They ask such questions before selecting a captain," he emphasised.
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"You have to understand that a captain, a coach, and a selector can make or break careers. It has happened in the past, and it will happen in the future because the captain will be the one who takes the playing XI to the park. He has a huge responsibility on him. For that, you need to have an interview to pick the right person for the job," Ashwin added.
Ashwin also said that he knows nothing of this sorts would happen in Indian cricket to pick the next captain but felt this should be the way to go and a player must be asked about how he wants to go about his business.
"No selector, no captain, no coach has intrinsic knowledge of a player's character. Leadership is about character. I believe, be it Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, or Ravindra Jadeja, you can't decide who is leadership material and who is not unless and until you have asked that individual."
"I know this is not going to happen. I don't know whether Australia runs this process to pick their captain," he concluded.