The collective failure of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as batsmen and pacers during the three-match Test series against New Zealand took fans’ anger to stratospheric heights. So much so that the mainstays of India’s batting line-up, feared and respected by everyone in world cricket, were ordered to “retire” from Test cricket with immediate effect. Rohit scored 91 runs in the three matches at an average of 15.16. His highest score was 52. Kohli, on the other hand, managed only 93 runs in as many matches at an average of 15.50. If we take out his 70-run knock in the second innings in Pune, Kohli amassed 23 runs in the rest of the five innings of the series.

Rohit and Kohli’s dismal form was reflected in India’s poor batting performance in the three Tests. Barring the second innings at Pune, where Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant formed a record-breaking partnership to push India’s total above 450, India crossed the 200-run mark only once in the rest of the series. They were bowled out for 46, their lowest score at home, in the first innings of the Bengaluru Test.

Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja were the only Indian batsmen to score consistently in the series, but the contribution of the others was so minimal that India crashed to their first whitewash (in a series consisting of at least three Tests) at home. .

Rohit agreed that he was not up to the mark either as captain or opener. The pacers dismissed him on spin-friendly tracks, and the shot he played in the second innings in Mumbai to bowl his wicket even before the spinners came in to bowl, raised quite a few eyebrows.

Kohli was no better. His shortcomings against left-arm spinners were exposed like never before. Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel caught him off guard and defeated him both inside and out.

The sudden fall of Rohit and Kohli was too much for the fans. Generally, those who were busy debating the ‘best batsman’ between Kohli and Rohit demanded his retirement.

There is a strong chance that the upcoming five-match Test series against Australia marks the last for at least two of the four senior players – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin – who are nearing the end of their international careers. . , reported news agency PTI.

An informal discussion could take place between BCCI bigwigs and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit on the way forward for an aging team.

“There will certainly be stock taking and it could be informal in nature as the team leaves for Australia on November 10. But this has been a huge debacle but, with the Australia series just around the corner and the team already announced, it won’t be there will be no tinkering,” a senior BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity.