Irfan Pathan strictly orders Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma to "step up and deliver" after Pune Test defeat

Former India allrounder Irfan Pathan has urged the senior players of the Indian team to step up and deliver when the team needs them the most. India's seniormost players of the current Test team, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are going through a rough patch.

Since the start of India's home Test season, both batters have struggled for runs. The fact that both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are going through a lean patch at the same time is hurting the team even more.

Their batting struggles were at the forefront of India's recent defeats to New Zealand at home. The Men in Blue lost the first match at Bengaluru where the batters struggled on a seamer-friendly surface. In the second Test at Pune, the struggle continued but on a spin-friendly surface this time.

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Irfan Pathan urges Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma "to step up and deliver"

After India's loss in the second Test at Pune, Irfan Pathan took to social media to express his views. The former India allrounder congratulated New Zealand for winning the series but claimed that India have lots of things to work on.

He further urged the senior players of the team to step up in this format by adding that the next three months will be crucial for India.

"Well done, New Zealand, on winning the series on Indian soil! For Team India, there’s a lot to reflect on. Senior players need to step up and deliver in the ultimate format of the game. The next three months will be crucial for them," Irfan Pathan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Well done, New Zealand, on winning the series on Indian soil! For Team India, there’s a lot to reflect on. Senior players need to step up and deliver in the ultimate format of the game. The next three months will be crucial for them.

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 26, 2024

Numbers of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

India's captain Rohit Sharma has scored just 62 runs in four innings of the two Tests against New Zealand so far at an average of 15.50. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has scored 88 runs at an average of 22.

Both batters have struggled against New Zealand's bowlers so far and have failed to deliver runs in crunch situations in this series. India would hope that both of them would be amongst the runs in the third Test match in Mumbai.

India's next Test assignment

After the ongoing Test series against New Zealand, India will travel to Australia for a five-match Test series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The series is going to be a stern challenge for Rohit Sharma and his men given Australia's prowess in home conditions.

With the two defeats at the hands of New Zealand, India's chances of making it to the World Test Championship final have also taken a hit. The Men in Blue now need to win the third Test against New Zealand and then win three matches against Australia to make it to the WTC final next year.