Test Retirement Looms? Rohit, Virat Under Pressure After Ashwin’s SHOCKING Exit

Rohit Sharma, India’s across-all-formats cricket skipper, never shied away from accepting responsibility that is what defines his leadership style ever since March 2022. Being the all-format captain of India, he always found himself in the news, either for achievements or for failure.

However, while Rohit Sharma, the skipper for both white-ball cricket, results had been mixed bag, a sense of questioning his white-ball performance and influence in test cricket have become more recurrent post India’s successive losses.

Another element fuelling speculations has been the early retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin, who quit international cricket after Brisbane Test. His sudden retirement seems to have sent Indian cricket fraternity into a tailspin on the future for veterans such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Rohit Sharma Struggles With Test

India’s Test cricketing performances under Rohit Sharma have been far from impressive. Of their last five games, India has lost four and three of those were at home to New Zealand. Rohit has been no better with his bat, scoring just one half-century in his last 13 innings. His last contribution of note was back in October against New Zealand in Bengaluru. Since then, the dip has been massive.

After the Gabba Test, Rohit candidly accepted he hadn’t batted well. “I haven’t batted well and no one can deny that,” he admitted. “But I know how I am preparing myself. All those boxes are ticked. It’s about spending as much time as possible in the middle. I’m pretty sure I am just there.”

Despite his confidence, big scores from Rohit seem to be a cause for question against his future as Test player and captain. Added to this is the fact that India might barely qualify for the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) where it has a five-Test Test series against England lined up in June. Thus, the two matches against Australia will play a determining role in Rohit’s future.

Virat Kohli’s Disappointed Run

Virat Kohli, Rohit’s predecessor as Test captain, is also under the microscope. Kohli’s second-innings century in Perth, achieved after a solid foundation was laid by Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, was a rare highlight in an otherwise underwhelming run. The hallmark of Kohli’s decline has been his repeated dismissals in the corridor outside off-stump—a weakness reminiscent of his infamous struggles during the 2014 England tour, where he managed just 134 runs in ten innings.

Kohli has been dismissed four times on the trot in the last month in similar fashion. Whether this is a matter of lapse in concentration or just over-eagerness to dominate bowlers is debatable. What is clear though is that Kohli like Rohit needs to make consistent performances to stay where he is.

Pressure Mounts On India’s Cricketing Stalwarts

Retirement decisions are so personal, and players will generally want to go on their terms, as seen with Ashwin. However, selectors and team management may push the issue if performances fail to deliver. For Rohit, the WTC cycle could provide a ready timeline for transition. In case his struggles continue, selectors might look at pushing in a new captain to guide India into the next phase.

Kohli, on the other hand, enjoys the benefit of being younger and fitter, but that doesn’t save him from scrutiny. His recent lean patch could force tough conversations about his role in the Test setup. Losing two senior players at the same time would be a significant blow to Indian cricket, but the decision will ultimately depend on their performances in the next few weeks.

What’s Next?

The immediate Test future of India depends largely on the contributions of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. With matches against Australia and the series in England, the spotlight will once again be on these two stalwarts. They both have to step up and not just for their own legacies but for Indian cricket’s stability and success.

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