Mumbai
While Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir are trying to build a team for the future, millions of fans will be eager to watch the ODI series against Australia to see how Kohli and Rohit perform after such a long break. Now that the dust has settled on the selection process for the Australia series, it is time to look at things objectively. It is clear that change in Indian cricket is in its final stages. Ajit Agarkar’s selection committee has done its job somewhat ruthlessly, and while the haste can be questioned, the aim is to ensure that the new captain has enough time to build his team ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
As far as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are concerned, no one thinks that both of them will play for long. If they want to play, they will have to play domestic cricket, and this is where the problem may arise. It’s clear that they will be expected to do so, and it will be interesting to see what the two do. Having played very little international cricket in the 50-over format, how they keep themselves prepared for the match is the big question. The Australia series will provide some answers as both have not played cricket since the IPL. It will be interesting to see how Gill deals with the presence of Kohli and Rohit in the changing room in Australia. However successful things are in sports, it cannot be easy for anyone. This is another reason why the next few months could be interesting to watch.
Australia tour turns out to be a blast
Both Kohli and Rohit had earlier hinted that they want to play till 2027. For example, Abhishek Nair has also said the same, since he has worked closely with Rohit. Kohli had also said this at a public event. Maybe he might want to see how things shape up in Australia and beyond before making any public announcement on the matter. Apart from this, it would also be unfair to judge him series by series. Anyone’s series can go bad. For example, Suryakumar Yadav did not have a good Asia Cup. In fact, he should play a lot of matches against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand (total 9 ODIs) only then any conclusion can be reached. If he performs well, then there is no need to ask anyone to retire. As I have said many times before, retirement is a personal decision.
Every match will be blockbuster
The selectors can definitely change the captain, and he has also changed, but whether to play or not, it is the player’s decision. They will want to perform well, and if they do, it is their decision whether they offer themselves for selection or not. Actually, Rohit decided to go to Australia because he wants to play. Knowing that he would not captain the team, he could have retired from the game but he did not do so, which means that he wants to play and believes that he still has the ability to play. We will have to wait to see whether he will be able to play for two more years and perform like Sachin Tendulkar after the age of 30. Now every match played between these two will prove to be a blockbuster. A format which could have lost its importance due to the World Cup being two years away, has now become the most awaited match. Every ODI match will be watched among the spectators and the broadcasters will also have a lot of fun. His presence has breathed new life into this format and this will be the most important thing for the next few months. It is a big achievement.
Ultimately, the results in Australia won’t matter much, people will just want to see how these two legends do their job. Will Rohit be able to give a good start to India and will he continue to play with the same aggressive attitude at the top of the order? Will Kohli maintain the innings as usual? Well, whatever it may be, be it Diwali or Kali Puja, it is now certain for millions of Indians that they will spend most of their time watching the India vs Australia match.
