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While some wanted Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to retire from the longest format, a few believed that they should return to the domestic circuit just like legendary Sachin Tendulkar did at the fag end of his career.
Should Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma retire from Tests
‘Time to retire from Tests as well,’ said a majority of fans, aiming at veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, after India lost the second Test match against New Zealand by 113 runs in Pune on Saturday. If the hosts endured their first defeat after 18 consecutive Test series victories, New Zealand celebrated their first ever victory on Indian soil in nearly 70 years.
The Indian batters danced to the tune of Mitchell Santner, who dominated the home line-up with a 13-wicket match haul. In pursuit of 359, Indian batters cut a sorry figure once again. They were bowled out for 245 with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 77 and Ravindra Jadeja (42) being the only ones to resist the Kiwis.
The two stalwarts of Indian cricket – Kohli and Rohit – made the least contribution in both innings. While the Indian skipper scored 0 and 8, his predecessor amassed 1 and 17. The fans expected them to make a valuable contribution when the team was already trailing 0-1 in the 3-match series. However, their failures with the bat added to India’s woes as they lost their first Test series defeat at home in 12 years.
The agitated cricket fans have been demanding their exit from the Test team. While some wanted them to retire from the longest format, a few believed that they should return to the domestic circuit just like legendary Sachin Tendulkar did at the fag end of his career.
Here’s how the fans reacted:
T20 retirement done, time to retire from Test matches as well. Both gentlemen.— Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) October 26, 2024
Stop defending Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli blindly. Rohit has not played domestic since 2016 and Kohli since 2012. Sachin Tendulkar played Ranaji match till 40s and his last appearance was 15 days before he retire. Ask if Sachin can why can’t they. #INDvsNZ #INDvsNZTEST #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/j1daAx8KzM— Ganesh (@me_ganesh14) October 26, 2024
Despite the heavy defeat, India remains at the top of the WTC standings with 98 points, though their percentage points dropped significantly to 62.82, putting them only slightly ahead of Australia, who stand at 62.50.
Ahead of their tour to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, it was crucial for India to secure a home series win to strengthen their lead and boost their chances of reaching the WTC final.
