Former India National Cricket Team batter Sunil Gavaskar batted for the overhaul of the Test team if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fail in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He said that if the stalwarts don’t perform, then the new-look Indian team should be there from the England tour next year.
The time is ticking for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as the clouds have started to loom over their place in the Indian Test team. Both the players, being in their late 30s, struggled to get going in the entire home Test season and looked terrible with the bat against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s test future under scanner after dismal performance vs NZ .
The place of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Indian Test team came under scanner after the India National Cricket Team faced a thrashing 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.
As per the various reports, the ultimatum has been given to both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. It is reported that the India National Cricket Team will be looking for new players if both fail to perform in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 and the team doesn’t reach the final of the World Test Championship.
It is learned that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have already played their last home Test and should they fail in Australia, they won’t be in squad for England tour. In the home Test season, Rohit Sharma managed 133 runs in 10 innings, and Virat Kohli amassed 192 runs.
Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar in an exclusive conversation with India Today dissected India’s 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand on home soil. The Rohit Sharma-led side faced a shambolic 0-3 series loss for the first time in their Test history which has posed several questions on the current lot of players and the team management.
Reflecting on India’s loss, Gavaskar delved deep into the technical shortcomings of the Indian batters, future of batting stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and also shared his prediction for the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy.
Sunil Gavaskar on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s Test future after home series 3-0 whitewash to NZ
Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar feels the clock is ticking for all the players who were part of the embarrassing home Test series whitewash to New Zealand and even more so for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Team India lost their first home Test series in over a decade and suffered a whitewash at home for the first time in a series with three or more matches.
To make matters worse, Kohli and Rohit struggled massively with the bat throughout the series with averages of 15.50 and 15.16, respectively.
When asked if the clock is ticking for the legendary duo in Tests, Gavaskar told India Today:
“It’s ticking for everybody. It’s not just them. But, because they are in their 30s, mid-30s, it will be tougher for them than the guys in the early 20s or early 30s. But, the clock is ticking for everybody. Which is why I say, the more you are playing, the more you will be prepared to meet the demands of modern-day cricket.”
He continued:
“It’s just one of those rarities where both these stalwarts have not been able to make significant contributions. Something like this… look, a bad patch comes to everybody. Sometimes, a couple of bad patches can happen. that’s what sporting life is all about. But, how you come back from those bad patches tell how good a player you are and your character as a sports person.”
Gavaskar further pointed to the upcoming Australia series as a make-or-break for the Indian Test side.
“What we are going to see in Australia is really going to be interesting. What we are going to see in Australia will determine the future of the Test team. Definitely yes. If they don’t score runs in Australia, there will be a clamor for a new-look Indian team to start from the tour of England,” he stated.
The series defeat to New Zealand meant India slipped to second on the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. They will have to win at least four of the five Tests in Australia to keep their WTC final hopes alive.
This team has that character – Sunil Gavaskar optimistic about India performing well in Australia
Despite the horrific home series defeat to New Zealand, Sunil Gavaskar backed India to bounce back strongly in the Australia series.
Team India were similarly down and out after losing the opening Test in Australia in 2020-21 but bounced back to pull off a stunning 2-1 series win.
“This team has that character. We all saw how India bounced back against England after losing the first Test earlier this year. It probably will take a long time to unravel to put my head around it,” said Gavaskar.
The India-Australia series is less than three weeks from getting underway with the first Test in Perth starting on November 22.