NEW DELHI: “They still have the hunger and passion,” Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir replied when asked about the future of India captain Rohit Sharma and talismanic Virat Kohli, who both endured horrible runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
However, the clamour for both Rohit and Kohli to pass the baton on to the next generation grew louder after India suffered a 1-3 defeat in the five-match series as Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a gap of 10 years.
The pressing question on the minds of Indian fans is whether we’ve witnessed the end of Rohit and Kohli in the longest format of the game. Their recent struggles, not just in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but even before that, hint that these two legends of the sport may have played their final Test series.
In the five Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli scored just 190 runs and was dismissed eight times chasing deliveries outside the off-stump.
What’s particularly appalling is that 136 of Kohli’s 190 runs came from just two innings – a brilliant unbeaten 100 in Perth and 36 in Melbourne – leaving him with a mere 54 runs across his remaining seven completed knocks.
Since 2020, Kohli’s Test numbers reveal a stark decline. In 39 matches, he has scored 2,028 runs at an average of 30.72, including just three centuries, suggesting that Kohli is going through his career’s all-time lowest phase.
Kohli’s numbers in the last five years baffled former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan who took a dig at Team India’s superstar culture and questioned Kohli’s absence from domestic cricket.
“Tell me one thing. When last did Virat Kohli play domestic cricket, even despite being free (not on national duty), when did it happen?” Irfan asked. “It’s been so long…Even the great Sachin Tendulkar played (domestic cricket) after that (2012). He didn’t have to but still he played because of things like spending time on the wicket, fielding for four days, bat again in the second innings…” Pathan said on Star Sports.
Rohit, meanwhile, missed the Perth Test due to the birth of his second child but managed only 31 runs across three matches before he stood out of the fifth Test in Sydney owing to poor form.
The 37-year-old Rohit’s numbers since 2021 – 2,160 runs in 35 matches at an average of 34.28 – are marginally better than Kohli’s. However, his form saw a significant decline in 2024, with him managing just 619 runs at a disappointing average of 24.76.
Rohit might have clarified that he has no intentions to say goodbye to Test cricket but the numbers suggest it’s high time for the Indian captain to reconsider his role in the format and pave the way for the next generation.
Star India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has set the precedent by surprising everyone with his sudden announcement of retiring from international cricket midway through the series. Now it remains to be seen whether Kohli and Rohit will follow the template set by Ashwin or will be able to revive their careers and enjoy a second wind.
Australia, like India, are also undergoing a transitional phase, with Usman Khawaja among those who may have played their final Test series.
The 38-year-old scored 41 in the second innings at Sydney but struggled to make a significant impact overall. However, his case is bolstered by the lack of an obvious successor in the Australian lineup.
