Rohit Sharma to Rahul Dravid - How did India's last five captains fare in their debut Test matches

Divy Dubey

Rohit Sharma to Rahul Dravid - How did India's last five captains fare in their debut Test matches image

Shubman Gill kicked off his Test captaincy career on a high. He scored a sensational 147 in the first innings of the first Test against England at Headingley.

With India finishing with a total of 471 runs, it was a dream start to his captaincy career in whites. As he looks to lead India into a new era, here is a quick look at how the last five Indian Test captains performed in their debut matches as skipper.

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How did India's last five captains fare in their debut Test matches

Rohit Sharma - vs Sri Lanka, March 2022

Rohit began his full-time Test captaincy in Mohali, where India crushed Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs. He scored 29 runs in India's only innings bu,t more importantly, got his captaincy off to a dominating start.

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Virat Kohli - vs Australia, December 2014

Kohli’s first outing as Test captain was in Adelaide. He was filling in for MS Dhoni. Despite scoring two centuries (115 and 141), India narrowly lost the thriller by 48 runs.

MS Dhoni - vs South Africa, April 2008

Dhoni took over as stand-in captain in Kanpur and India went on to beat South Africa by eight wickets. It was a quiet game with the bat for him, but a successful start overall.

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Anil Kumble - vs Pakistan, November 2007

In his first match as captain, Kumble led India to a six-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan in Delhi. He bowled well - finishing with seven wickets across both innings.

Rahul Dravid - vs New Zealand, October 2003

Dravid's Test captaincy debut was not one to remember personally. He made scores of 13 and 5 as India struggled to keep up with New Zealand's massive first-innings total. The match ended in a draw.

Divy Dubey

Divy Dubey is a content producer for The Sporting News' India edition. He has a passion for cricket and is an avid fan of football. His work spans culture, media, and digital trends. With a background in research and a curiosity-driven approach, he enjoys crafting thoughtful, engaging stories that invite readers to see everyday topics in a new light.