Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra wants the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel to take a call on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s Test future after India suffered a 1-3 series loss against Australia. India lost the fifth and final Test of the series by six wickets at the SCG on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma haven’t been at their best in Test format and the pressure is rising on the veteran duo. Rohit scored 42 runs in two Test matches against Bangladesh, 91 runs against New Zealand in three Test matches, and 31 runs in five innings against Australia.
On the other hand, Virat Kohli scored 99 runs against Bangladesh in two Test matches, 93 runs in three Test matches against the Kiwis and could only manage 190 runs in five Test matches against the Aussies at an average of 23.75.
Kohli has been averaging 32.29 in his last 40 Test matches, which is well below the lofty standards that he sets for himself.
“Unfortunately, the numbers of the last five years are saying that whoever is talking is not about propaganda or agenda. You can see home or away, the numbers are saying that things aren’t looking good. Irfan (Pathan) said on Star Sports that if Virat Kohli hasn’t scored runs for five years, play a kid as he too would score runs at an average of 25,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“What you want to do is your choice but the selection is the selectors’ job. Since you are going to the next WTC cycle, you haven’t qualified for the final, and neither he nor Rohit has scored runs, the team is going through a transition and things are looking quite shaky, the ball is in the selectors’ court. They have to decide now because if you think about what will happen till England, there won’t be any Test cricket in between,” Chopra added.
Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra also shed light on Virat Kohli’s performance in the red-ball format in the last five years.
Kohli hasn’t been at his best and it is crucial for him to turn the tables.
