Kohli in Tests or Rohit in white-ball cricket?
Quick info 1: Rohit Sharma has been rested in ODI’s and T20I’s for Australia tour starting from 27th November. Subject to his fitness, he will be back for the test series starting from 17th December.
Quick info 2: Virat Kohi will leave the series midway after the first test at Adelaide. He has taken parental leave from the BCCI.
Indian captain Virat Kohli and vice-captain Rohit Sharma are the two gems that India has produced this decade. Whenever these two players play together for India, the bowlers, commentators, and audience are amazed watching their batting class and the temperament with which they tackle pressure situations.
Virat Kohli is currently the best batsman globally as he averages 50+ in all three formats of the game. His absence after the 1st test will be a massive blow for India as the energy and passion he brings both with bat and fielding are immensely high compared to the other team members. Cover drive with a stretched left foot is his textbook shot as it looks classy and makes a beautiful sound from his bat, which is a treat to watch for all fans and players of both teams.
Australia’s Test Captain Pain says, “With Virat, it is a funny one, we love to hate him, but we also love to watch him bat as cricket fans. He certainly is polarizing in that type of scenario. We love watching him bat, but we don’t like seeing him score too many runs. I get asked a lot of questions about Virat Kohli; he is just another player to me; it does not really bother me. There is not really a relationship there with him to be fair, I see him at the toss and play against him, and that’s about it,” Paine said.
Most of the pundits of the game have supported Virat Kohli’s decision to take parental leave. Australian coach Justin Langer respects Kohli’s decision quoting: “I cannot believe he displays the energy he does in everything he does, and I’ve got so much respect for him. I’ve also got respect for him in the sense that he’s made this decision (to return for the birth).”
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma has been the most destructive opener in the world of white-ball cricket. A well-set Rohit Sharma batting in a T20 or ODI match can change the flow of the match as he can knock down the opposition bowlers all alone. He has that extra second to play shots and is very good on the back-foot, which will help in the bouncy pitches in Australia. He is an effortless player as he plays all his shots with ease.
Pakistani world cup champion and a very popular commentator Ramiz Raja said that “Rohit is a match-winner and teams are scared of him. When teams huddle together before a batsman arrives at the crease like Sharma does, it says a lot. Rohit’s absence is a big loss to India.”
Rohit, if fully fit, will be back in the test series starting from 17th December. Although, his match-fitness will be a question mark ahead of the 1st test match as he could miss some of the practice matches.
Hopefully, Rohit will be available for the second match in the absence of Virat. Although Rohit is not as established in test cricket, he is capable enough to adapt to test cricket.
There could also be a possibility that Rohit could be given test captaincy ahead of vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane. “Nothing against Rahane, but Rohit has to captain. He is a proven leader and has the required experience,” former left-handed pacer Irfan Pathan told PTI.
To conclude, both (Virat and Rohit) are outstanding players and leaders for India; it is very little to choose between them. But if you are a real cricket fan, then Test cricket must be your favorite format.
The Austalia, India series is more focused on test cricket as the world championship is at stake and winning a test series against a competitive team, be it India or Australia, is a great feeling.
India will miss the competitive Virat Kohli, who gives his all on the field of play. This makes Australia red-hot favorites for the test series as it is tough for any other player to fill Virat’s shoes.
Rohit’s experiences will be missed a lot in the ODI and T20, but things change very quickly in the shorter formats; hence someone like KL Rahul or Mayank Agarwal can score at least half of Rohit’s runs, and then Virat or other can make-up for Rohit’s loss.
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