Rohit, Virat’s absence will give massive boost to England, says Moeen Ali

The absence of Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the Test series in England will give a "massive boost" to the hosts, said former all-rounder Moeen Ali

London: The absence of Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the Test series in England will give a “massive boost” to the hosts, said former all-rounder Moeen Ali, adding that Shubman Gill would be the likely choice to lead the side for the gruelling five-match tour commencing next month.

Rohit and Virat announced their retirements from Test cricket, which has left India without two of their most experienced players for the series, which is also the beginning of the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle.

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The series will begin with the opening Test scheduled at Headingley from June 20.

“Definitely, I think it’s a massive boost for England. Two top players who’ve been to England a few times on tour, so they have the experience. I remember Rohit playing really well the last time they were in England. The character they have, the leaders they (are), both of them have captained India in Test cricket, so yeah a massive loss for the team,” the former England all-rounder, who retired from international cricket last year but continues to play in domestic T20 leagues including the IPL, told Sky Sports.

Moeen, who played 68 Tests and showcased his all-round abilities, scoring more than 3,000 runs and taking 200-plus wickets with his off-spin, added that Gill would be a “very good” choice to lead India despite his inexperience of captaining India in the longest format.

Gill, who has emerged as the frontrunner to lead India after Rohit’s retirement from Test cricket, has never captained India in the longest format or ODIs. “I think it will be Shubman Gill. Ideally, they (BCCI) would want Jasprit Bumrah to captain because he is a very good captain, a good leader who has done it before.

“But because of his injury record, he might not be able to last the whole series, I think they’ll give it (captaincy) to somebody who’s done decently so far in Test cricket. Gill leads Gujarat Titans in IPL, so they’ve still got a very, very good captain, inexperienced yes but a good captain and good brain, but it’ll be a challenge (in England conditions),” Moeen opined.

Moeen felt that if Gill is made captain, he should be ready for the challenges first-time captains face in English conditions.

“England is a challenge for anybody, any team that comes over and when it’s your first time as captain, it’s very, very difficult. So, I think the signs look good for England to take the series, but I would never underestimate India or their ability they have with the bat in particular.”

“But they have brilliant players who just don’t have the experience of obviously playing in England and that’s something that you need in England. I think it’s a great chance for England.” Moeen called Kohli a “pioneer” in Test cricket, adding that his crowd-pulling ability was only second to Sachin Tendulkar.

“It’s (Kohli’s retirement) a massive blow to Test cricket. He was the one pioneer, the one guy in Test cricket that always pushed the format. Amazing player, amazing career.

“He’s done so much for the game itself, especially in India. I think after Sachin (Tendulkar), he was the guy everybody comes to watch and he filled out stadiums. Amazing record, a brilliant player to watch as well. The style he played with (was) very competitive and a brilliant captain as well. A big blow to Test cricket,” he said.