As per reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will decide on the red-ball future of senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after the five-match test series against Australia.
This comes on the wake of India sustaining a disappointing 3-0 series whitewash against New Zealand. It was the first-ever instance of Black Caps winning a test series in India, while the Indian team also lost all the matches in series involving three or more games for the first time.
After struggling against pacers amid overcast conditions in Bengaluru, India succumbed to the visitors’ spin attack in Pune and Mumbai. The experienced batters like skipper Rohit and Kohli didn’t inject confidence into the team with their lackluster performances.
Rohit Sharma garnered only 91 runs in six innings and could not find a balance between his positive and defensive approach. In his final innings of the series, ‘Hitman’ started with a couple of boundaries; but miscued a pull shot, in his pursuit of going with the flow.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli accumulated 93 runs in six appearances, with a 70-run in Bengaluru being his top knock. Kohli looked a pale shadow of himself in the final two tests, and let the spinners dominate him.
After a series loss to New Zealand, India slid from first to second position in World Test Championship (WTC) standings. As a result, the upcoming five-match series against Australia will be crucial for them to remain among the top two teams in the table.
If the senior players like Rohit and Kohli continue their disastrous form and India loses against Australia, the duo may face an axe from the selection panel. The significance of the series is huge, as it can make or break India’s dreams to win their maiden WTC title. The last two occasions have seen them ending as runner-ups.
Rohit Sharma undecided on participation in 1st Test against Australia
In the post-match press conference after the third test, Rohit Sharma responded to the rumors of him missing the first test against Australia. The game is set to take place from November 22 in Perth.
“Not sure whether I will be going, fingers crossed,” Rohit said.
According to reports, Rohit and his wife Ritika Sajdeh are expecting their second child, and that might be the reason of him still undecided on his participation.
As per Rohit, the team is trying to reach Australia as early as possible to get accustomed to playing conditions and ground dimensions. He terms the tour to Down Under as crucial, saying:
“I’m not going to look beyond Australia series. Australia series, for us is now very, very important. We will try and focus on that rather than thinking what happens after.”
