Former Indian national cricket team batsman Sunil Gavaskar has batted for Test team review if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fail in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He said if the stalwarts don’t work out, then the revamped Indian team should be there from the tour of England next year.
Time is ticking for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as clouds have started to gather over their place in the Indian Test team. Both players, in their mid-30s, struggled to get going throughout the home Test season and looked terrible with the bat against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s place in the Indian Test team came under scrutiny after the Indian national cricket team suffered a drubbing at the hands of the New Zealand national cricket team. They suffered a 3-0 whitewash, which happened for the first time in the history of Indian cricket.
According to various reports, the ultimatum has been given to both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The Indian national cricket team will reportedly look for new players if both fail to perform in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 and the team fails to reach the final of the World Test Championship.
It is learned that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have already played their last Test at home and if they fail in Australia, they will not be in the team for the England tour. In the home Test season, Rohit scored 133 runs in 10 innings and Kohli amassed 192 runs.
If they don’t score runs in Australia, there will be clamor for a revamped Indian team: Sunil Gavaskar over Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
Sunil Gavaskar also believes that if both the players failed to score runs in Australia, the youngsters should get a chance. He believes that time is ticking for both legends and that it will be more difficult for them than the guys in their 20s and 30s. Speaking to India Today, he explained:
“Definitely yes. If they don’t score runs in Australia, there will be a clamor for a revamped Indian team to start the tour of England.”
“The clock is ticking for everyone. It’s not just about them. But, because they are in their 30s, it will be harder for them than the guys who are in their 20s. But the clock is ticking for everyone. So “That’s what I say is that the more you play, the more prepared you will be to meet the demands of modern cricket.”
This is one of those rare series where neither side has been able to score runs – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar, however, did not dwell much on the poor form of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, saying that it is understandable to have a bad time and pointing out that it was the rarest series when both failed to get runs. He added:
“Totally understandable (focus on Kohli and Rohit’s failures). This is one of those rare series where neither of them have been able to score runs (Kohli and Rohit). Don’t forget Kohli scored 70 in the second innings in “Bengaluru is just one of those rarities where both stalwarts have failed to make significant contributions.”
A bad streak comes to us all – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar went on to talk about the same and emphasized that even good players can suffer a losing streak. But he believes the way Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will return will reveal their character. He feels that the Australia series will determine the fate of the upcoming Indian team. He elaborated:
“Something like this… look, everyone has a bad streak. Sometimes, you can have a couple of bad streaks. That’s what sports life is all about. But, the way you recover from those bad streaks streaks says how good a player he is. You are and your character as an athlete. What we are going to see in Australia is going to be interesting. “What we are going to see in Australia will determine the future of the Test team.”
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