England Test tour: Is India ready to do without the Big Two at one go?

Will India be leaving the shores for the Test series in England without the ‘Big Two’ of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli? This looks a distinct possibility with a media report emerging of the latter writing to the BCCI expressing his desire to quit red ball cricket – a decision which the board wants him to reconsider.

 A report in Indian Express quotes a BCCI source saying that Kohli has ‘made up his mind’ to move on from Test cricket and has informed the board. This can become a double whammy for the Indian team since only earlier this week, captain Rohit has stepped down from Tests – with both now opting for the 50-overs game as their only preferred format.

 Kohli, who has been largely off social media in recent times, is yet to make his intent public and this gives the impression that there is room for convincing him to play at least the crucial upcoming five-Test series in England. The national selectors are likely to meet for the selection on 23 May, when they will also announce the India A team to England and also has the task of choosing a new Test captain where Shubman Gill seems to be in the pole position.

The impact of such a buzz, overshadowed somewhat at the anxiety over the India-Pakistan conflict, has taken legion of his fans by surprise. Now 36, Kohli had been one of the biggest advocate of the long format and irrespective of whoever in projected as the new captain, his presence makes a major difference in marketing the series better.

 However, it is believed that he had made up his mind after a dismal series Down Under where he started with a century in the first Test at Perth but eventually ended with an average of 23.75 from five Tests. What also earned him repeated flak was that out of his eight dismissals on the tour, Kohli got out to deliveries outside off stump on seven. The master batter’s ego must have been badly hurt and during a podcast with his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore, he admitted: “I might not have an Australia tour again in me in four years’ time.”

 Speaking on the issue to National Herald over phone, former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar  said: ‘’We are yet to get a confirmation on Kohli and should he stick to his decision, it’s going to be a big void without him and Rohit in a particular series where experience counts for much. However, it’s also true that if they are not there, it opens up opportunities for some who have been doing extremely well in domestic scene.’’

  The million dollar is: whether Kohli can turn down a request from the top brass or someone like Gautam Gambhir, with whom his association goes back to the junior days in Delhi? Their on-field skirmishes during the IPL is a forgotten chapter as their relationship goes much deeper – but Kohli is also a character known for not changing his decisions.

 It could hence be almost a culture shock to see an Indian Test team without the two veterans at one go as between them, they have led  the Test side for nearly 11 years till now. Kohli became India’s Test captain in December 2014 followed by Rohit in February 2022.

There will be a number of suitable candidates in the fray for Kohli’s place at number four in the middle order – the names of an in-form Shreyas Iyer and Karun Nair being up in the air. While KL Rahul, who has the wherewithal of  opening the innings in English conditions, can replace Rohit at the top of the order and the likes of Gill, Shreyas and Pant could follow in the next positions but a lack of experience is palpable.

  The England series could have seen Kohli within a striking distance of a number of landmarks – like the 10,000-run mark in Tests (he is currently on 9230 runs from 123 Tests at an average of 46.85). However, there is no denying that his powers in red ball cricket have waned over the past five years during which he aggregated 1990 runs in 37 games with three hundreds.

  It’s a performance not quite befitting his landmark and should Kohli be convinced to reverse his decision one last time, it won’t be for the long haul either. The man will surely know best!