Rohit Sharma and Co.’s loss in the India vs New Zealand home series has led to lot of introspection. For a team which has been almost invincible at home, the recent loss has sent shockwaves. More so, because this comes right before to Tour of Australia. The three losses against New Zealand will hurt India a lot more because it has dealt them a major blow regarding World Test Championship final qualification. Former India player Karsan Ghavri, a veteran of 39 Tests and 19 ODIs, has opined that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should retire if they don’t perform in the Border Gavaskar Trophy that starts on November 22.
Ghavri was asked on whether the series loss at home will affect India’s confidence in Australia. He replied in details.
“It was a very, very poor performance. I am really disappointed with the way our batters performed, especially Rohit and Virat. If you can’t perform well in your own conditions, what will you do in Australia? First, you lost in Bengaluru and made changes for the second Test, but then lost that match within three days. What is this? In Bengaluru, the first day was washed out due to rain, and India still suffered a defeat.I blame our batsmen for this. We are not putting enough runs on the board. In Bengaluru, we were all out for 46,” Ghavri told Times of India.
“In Pune, we didn’t score more than 260 in either innings. That is very poor batting. Apart from Yashasvi Jaiswal, no one showed the grit to score runs. In Tests, you need big partnerships.
“Our top batsmen, whether it’s Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, or youngsters like Shubman Gill needed to build at least two big stands. These batters must understand that they need to put up scores of over 350 or 400 to be competitive in a Test match. In bowling, you need to take 20 wickets. When our bowlers are struggling in home conditions, what will they do overseas? Really disappointing. There’s a big question mark. I don’t know how we’re going to fare in Australia.”
Ghavri was also asked if Kohli and Rohit’s future depended on the Australia Tour, and his reply was definitive.
“Definitely, 200 percent yes. They need to score big. If they don’t perform, it’s time for them to call a time on their Test careers. If they don’t perform in Australia, Virat and Rohit should retire. They have done a lot for Indian cricket, but the team needs runs to win. We need to build a team for the future. How long will we keep players who aren’t performing? If they perform, keep them; if not, why select them? If players are selected without performance, then bring in Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane. If Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli aren’t scoring runs, then who will score? In a country like Australia, you need experienced players who can occupy the crease, stay longer, and put up big scores. To beat Australia in Australia, you need big totals on the board,” Ghavri said.