India’s recent Test series whitewash against New Zealand has raised concerns over the poor form of senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Rohit has managed only 133 runs in his last 10 Test innings, while Kohli has scored 192.
Former India cricketer Pragyan Ojha has emphasized the need for these experienced players to take responsibility. “They need to take full responsibility because they are senior players. They are in bad form at the moment, and because of that India’s collapse looks worse,” Ojha said.
Ojha, who played alongside both Rohit and Kohli, believes their poor form is particularly concerning given the young age of the rest of India’s top 6. Kohli and Rohit are the only two players over 30 in the lineup, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (22), Shubman Gil (25), Rishabh Pant (27), and Sarfaraz Khan (27) completing the batting order.
Ojha warned that Australia will not make it easy for Rohit and Kohli during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. “The Australia series will be crucial for both of them. If they find form there, India will feel a little bit comfortable. Down Under, Australia will know that India are coming after losing a home series, and that too a whitewash. Australia will be ahead in mind games and make good use of it,” he said.
While India has won the last two Test series in Australia, their experienced batters have separate issues to deal with. Kohli did not play in three of the four Tests in 2020/21, while Rohit Sharma may miss the first Test at Perth due to an unconfirmed personal reason.
