Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, regarded as cricket gods of this modern era, have been put under scrutiny as underwhelming Test match performances raise questions. Even though they are legends of Indian cricket—the one being an all-format batter who is often spoken of among the greatest ever and the other being a white-ball maestro—their red-ball credentials are in doubt after India lost the recent Test series against Australia.
Test Series Struggle
Kohli averaged just 22.47 in the 10 Test matches played after September, and against Australia at five of these, while Sharma could manage 10.93. Kohli could score a couple of fifty, including an important century scored in Perth while Sharma crossed his fifty-run mark only on one occasion. However, neither batted to help India out from sticky situations that had developed during several innings. It was one of the key reasons for India loss vs. the Australia series by 1-3. Notably, India give away the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in ten years.
Further concerns were added by Sharma not opting to play in the final Test in Sydney. This made it a buzzword that maybe this was the last Test for Sharma in Australia—or even whites.
Call For Ranji Comeback
Both stalwarts have seen their poor form prompting a call to return to domestic cricket, Ranji Trophy in particular, and work their way back to form and confidence. Cricketing legends Sunil Gavaskar and Gautam Gambhir have stated that it is the domestic game that helps maintain Test level-readiness.
India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has requested all Test players, including fringe cricketers, to focus on domestic matches. He said after India’s defeat in Sydney,”If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players for Test cricket. Everyone should play domestic cricket, not just one game but with full commitment.”
Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar said that Test players cannot afford to miss the Ranji Trophy when it resumes on January 23. He pointedly referred to Kohli and Sharma while driving home the need to nurture hungry, young players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
“Such players are needed—those who treat their wicket as their life. I’m eager to see who among the current squad will play Ranji matches,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan did not mince words, particularly targeting Kohli’s lack of participation in domestic cricket. Kohli last played a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi in 2012, while Sharma’s most recent domestic appearance was in the 2016 Duleep Trophy. Pathan noted that even Sachin Tendulkar, despite his stature, played Ranji matches as recently as 2013, during his final year as a professional cricketer.
Can We See Them In Whites Again?
The performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are going to be scrutinized intensely as India prepares for the challenges of Test cricket ahead. A return to domestic cricket may provide them with the opportunity to work on their weaknesses and stage a strong comeback. All eyes will be on whether these two legends heed the calls to participate in the resumption of the Ranji Trophy.
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