Virat Kohli's Absence An Ideal Opportunity For Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara To Step Up: Harbhajan Singh

The news of Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, not taking part in the entirety of the all-important Test series against Australia has left millions of cricket fans in the country worried about the erstwhile No.1 ranked Test team in the worlds’ prospect of emulating their 2018-19 feats, where they became the first Asian team to beat Australia in a Tests series Down Under.

Virat Kohli will return to India after playing the first Test of the four-match series- the pink-ball affair at the Adelaide Oval- in order to be with his wife, Anushka Sharma, who is due to deliver the couple’s first baby in January. Kohli’s absence could hurt Team India on two counts. Not only does the champion Indian cricketer is an inspirational Test leader, but he is also India’s leading batsman in overseas conditions, especially in Australia.

That said, former Indian off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh, feels that the absence of Virat Kohli is a great opportunity for the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Cheteshwar Pujara to step-up to the occasion.

While Rohit Sharma will be opening the batting for the first time in overseas conditions, the absence of Virat Kohli in the middle-order will open up an opportunity for KL Rahul in the middle-order. Rahul is making a comeback to the Test team after being dropped from the set-up following a disastrous West Indies tour in 2019.

”Virat Kohli is coming back after the first Test but this open the window of opportunity for someone like KL Rahul, who is coming back in the Test team. Virat Kohli is a big player and he has scored runs whenever he has toured Australia, his absence will be missed but this is an opportunity for players to step in,” Harbhajan Singh told Sports Tak.

Virat Kohli’s absence should be seen in this manner. KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara are big players and they have an opportunity to prove themselves. If Rohit Sharma opens in a Test match in Australia, it’s a big thing in itself. I think Team India has it in them but the fact that Virat Kohli is there or not should be forgotten. The team should just remember that they are in Australia to win and repeat what they did the last time,” he added.

Interestingly, Cheteshwar Pujara was one of the major cornerstones behind India’s triumph in 201819. Pujara grounded the Aussie bowlers into the dust as he faced more than 1200 balls for his 521 runs and three hundreds. Pujara will once again be the key to India’s fortunes in the upcoming series, especially in the absence of Virat Kohli.

Also Read- Cheteshwar Pujara Will Probably Have To Work Harder This Series: Glenn McGrath