Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma look rusty!! BCCI selector warns of grim future for duo
Table of Contents
Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been backed by former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth, who highlighted that they had come to play after a long time and not much could be said to them. He also opined that they cannot be judged over their performance in just one game.
The much-anticipated Australia tour has begun for India; however, they did not have a very convincing start to the series. The Men in Blue lost the first match to the Aussies by seven wickets in Perth after a miserable performance with the bat. They will advance to Adelaide for the second ODI, and with much time ahead of the match, the Shubman Gill-led side might be aiming at a strong bounce back.
"But Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli came suddenly; frankly, you cannot say anything," Kris Srikkanth observed
Former Indian team opener Kris Srikkanth, who is widely known for his controversial take on Indian players and the management, has backed the greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
"It is tough to suddenly go and play in Australia after playing in Delhi. But Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli came suddenly you frankly you cannot say anything. They were looking rusty. The rain was also a bit of a pain."
However, though he said nothing much could be said to the two veterans who made their much-awaited return, he didn't mince his words while taking a sly dig at the Indian team for having lost the game within the first ten overs, and also gave Mitchell Marsh his due credit for captaincy.
"In a truncated game it is in and out and it takes me time for the batters to settle. It is difficult, but I still believe India lost the match in the first ten overs. Hats off to Marsh's captaincy," he said on his YouTube channel, 'Cheeky Cheeka.'
"Irrespective of rain, we could have done better if our strategy was better" - Kris Srikkanth
The former opener, alongside Rohit and Virat Kohli, also looked interested in other developments within the side. He was disgusted by the snub of Kuldeep Yadav for unnecessary batting depth. He was also caught up in some confusion over the demotion of KL Rahul to the no. 6 batting position.
"I still believe India is a better side on paper. I still defend my statement. I think our strategy was wrong, the combination was wrong, the batting order strategy was wrong, the approach was wrong," he noted.
"Forget about rain or no rain. Irrespective of rain, we could have done better if our strategy was better. Australia bowled well, yes, but at the end of the day if you get the strategy and combination right, we still have a good chance," he added further.
"We cannot judge by one innings. They are world-class white-ball players," opined Srikkanth
Despite the defeat and the dismissal of the two greats for just 8 and 0, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have received immense backing from the former selector. He has also shown full faith in them to do well in the upcoming games, while mentioning that Virat Kohli often loves such challenges.
"I believe we will comeback. It may look like Rohit and Virat are rusty but maybe they are not. We cannot judge by one inning. They are world-class white-ball players. Virat likes these kinds of situations; he wants to comeback and prove himself."
"He will take it as a challenge and do well. Similarly with Rohit also, he will play freely. I am not worried about that. Only the combination and strategy is important," he concluded.
ALSO READ: Ravi Shastri keeps Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s 2027 World Cup hopes alive after Perth horror show
Tagged:
India National Cricket Team Australia National Cricket Team India tour of Australia Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma Kris Srikkanth Kuldeep Yadav Gautam Gambhir KL Rahul India vs Australia
